Under Ashen Skies
by TheDreamerofThings
Summary: An older sibling chooses to live a life of crime to protect his sister, regardless of the consequences. But fate has a funny way of bringing together those who are destined to change the world. And in the end, the world might need someone with a... criminal's touch.
1. Prologue

**RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. I only wish I could dream of something as awesome.**

* * *

The grey skies threatened rain as the young man nearly sprinted down the street. His destination loomed in front of him, but while it used to herald a bright future, now it seemed to promise only suffering. The teenager shook those thoughts from his head and pushed himself harder, barreling through the double doors and slipping into an elevator just before it could close. He jabbed irritably at the 12th floor button, sparing only a single glance at his fellow occupants before descending into brooding silence. Every stop before his just served to darken his mood, and when the doors finally opened to the floor he wanted, he was already sprinting along the corridors, body following a well-traveled path to the only thing that mattered to him. He skidded to a halt just before reaching the door, took a moment to calm himself and smooth down his Signal uniform, then slipped inside.

His eyes settled instantly on the single occupant of the stark white room, a girl younger than him, sleeping peacefully and untroubled. He let out a long breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding, then scanned the room hastily to find the one other person he wanted to talk to. Sure enough, the older man was seated at a nearby desk, watching the man patiently. Wearing simple clothes and a stark white lab coat to match the room, the only other word to really describe the man was tired. He seemed to only get more tired as the younger finally tore his attention away from the girl.

"A little out of breath, are we?"

"I'm fine. How is she?"

"Not much better, Mr. Mercury. I can at least say that she is in no danger of an attack at the moment."

"Don't sugarcoat it Doc."

"... It seemed like her system might be able to resist or even fight off the infection before, but with this most recent attack, her immune system has weakened considerably. As you know, eventually, her system will be unable to handle the disease and one of her attacks will cause her body to simply... fail. It is... unfortunate, but unless she receives the proper treatment, and soon, she won't last another six months."

The words hit the younger man like a train, and he collapsed against a nearby wall, sliding to the floor. The proper treatment. The proper treatment! Even the simplest of treatments for his sibling would cost them at least four times what they had saved. It was a miracle she'd even been admitted into the hospital, much less treated! How the in all of Remnant was he supposed to come up with that kind of money?

"Asher, I am so-"

"Don't start with that bullshit, Roan. I don't want it."

Silence was all that followed, and minutes seemed to tick by as both watched the girl sleeping her time away second by second. Neither wanted to talk, not now that everything was already said. In the doctor's case, it was out of a mixture of pity and self-loathing. He had watched both of these children ever since Asher had dragged his sister into the hospital, begging for help, almost seven years ago. And now he was watching as one was dying from disease and the other could only watch. If there was any moments he hated being a doctor, it was these. The silence threatened to stretch on endlessly, but the girl, as if sensing the tense atmosphere surrounding her, stirred restlessly. Asher stood instantly, gaze fixed on his sister for any hint of discomfort, and Roan smiled at nothing before standing and making his way out the door. Another moment passed before the girl's eyes opened, gaze wandering the room in confusion.

"Ash?"

"I'm here, Azure. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Tired though..."

Asher strode over to his sister, forcing a warm smile, dragging over a nearby chair to sit down next to the bed. Within moments, his sister's hand found his, and she entwined their fingers together. It wasn't long before his sibling was asking her questions about his day, and as always he answered them with as much detail as he could. Exciting stories of one on one combat, the boring lectures, the difficult tests. Anything and everything was described in detail. Still, eventually, he ran out of things to say, and silence took the room once again. Asher felt his mood sour, mind turning once again to the imminent death of his only relative. As always, his sister was quick to pick up on his mood, and her words cut into his contemplation, catching him somewhat by surprise.

"... Ash? Is something wrong?"

"Wha- No! No... Nothing's wrong. I just forgot about a report I need to get done before tomorrow... You'd better get back to sleep. You need to keep your strength up."

"But I'm not tired!"

"Azure. Do I need to be evil?"

The girl wilted under her brother's gaze, sinking into her bed. Then, as if mustering her courage in some epic battle of wills, Azure sat up in her bed and straightened her body in defiance, gaze meeting her brother's with the determination. Asher, for his part, smiled with barely contained glee, even as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You asked for this, Azure."

Then he dove towards his sibling, fingers seeking her sides and sending her into a laughing fit as she tried desperately to escape his grasp. Minutes passed in play, and when it was finally over, the elder of the two sighed before sliding off the bed and turning back to face the younger.

"Alright. That's enough play. Bedtime."

"Do you have to go, Brother of Mine?"

"I'm sorry, Sister of Mine. But you know how it goes. Roan will keep an eye on you."

"He's always so serious though!"

"Crying to me isn't going to change anything. Besides, wasn't it just last week you were going on and on about marrying him because he's so nice?"

The younger girl flushed red, choosing to turn on to her side and bring her blankets over her head, trying to hide her embarrassment. Asher laughed before pulling the covers away gently and placing a kiss on Azure's forehead before pulling away. Azure grabbed her brother's face and pulled it back, kissing his forehead in kind before finally releasing him and closing her eyes. Just before being taken once again by sleep, Azure mumbled the last words her sibling would hear her say for a very long time.

"Promise you'll be here when I wake up, Asher..."

"... I promise you will never be alone, Azure."

Asher slipped from the room quietly, the door closing behind him with a gentle click. He paused outside the door, mind conflicted now that he was left with his own thoughts. His sister, the only person that meant anything to him and his very reason for living, was going to die if she didn't get help. And the only way to get that help was to get money. It was the reason he'd decided to become a Huntsman, and dedicated himself so fully to getting into Signal. Granted, it had taken a bit of hard work, not to mention Roan calling in a few favors, just to have certain... circumstances... overlooked, but in the end, it would have been worth it. But now, with only a few years of schooling under his belt, and many more till he was actually recognized as a Huntsman...

"There's not enough time."

That single thought grew stronger the more he mulled over the situation. He needed a way to get money, and quickly. A normal job was completely out of the question. Mercenary work would take too long as well, not enough time to build a good reputation and get good paying jobs. In Asher's mind, there was only one option really. One way to accumulate enough money to pay for his sister's treatments, and maybe give her a better life than the one she'd had so far. It was a gamble, it would likely take all the money he had just to get ready, he'd be giving up everything he'd worked for and luck would play no small part, but... if it saved her...

Asher took one last look at the door to his sister's room before turning away and striding off down the corridor, towards the elevators. He would need to start immediately. While he was no expert, he gathered that plans would need to be made, information gathered, and equipment readied. He would throw away whatever place he had in society, if only for the chance that she might live. The elevator doors opened as he reached them, and Roan stepped out, sidestepping out-of-the-way as Asher pushed past him.

"Asher?"

"Roan, remind me again how much her treatment would be?"

"Just to start them would cost at least 50,000 lien. Asher, you already know that."

"Just checking. Take care of Azure for me, alright?"

"Asher?"

The young man only smiled lamely as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

Three months later, and Roan found himself once again in Azure's room. He watched with a smile on his face as the girl, for the first time in a long while, was out of her bed, dancing happily to a new radio placed next to her bed. Still, his thoughts turned dark as the most recent song ended and the 13-year old girl turned to him, a frown growing on her face.

"Roan?"

"Hm?"

"When is Asher going to visit?"

Silence fell, heavy and thick with tension. For a moment, Roan had no words, then he managed to compose himself and force an answer out of his suddenly dry mouth.

"I'm sure he'll be around eventually, Azure. He's probably just busy with something at school."

"I guess... hey, you think I could go to Signal?"

The question, while completely different from her previous one, destroyed his composure just as easily. This one, however, was much easier to answer, thanks in no small part to her rapidly strengthening condition.

"I think you could. You'd be behind a year or two in your studies, though. It might be a bit too much for you to-"

"I could study here! While I'm recovering!"

"Alright! Alright! I'll see what I can do about getting you some of the course books. Just be patient, alright? Your treatment will take time."

Her treatment. Roan couldn't begin to describe the conflicting emotions he felt. While he was genuinely happy to see her regaining her strength, the source of that treatment could not be more soaked in blood. He remembered it clearly, walking into his office that morning to discover that duffel bag filled with lien and a note stating it was for Azure. Things went from good to terrible the next day, when the news was filled with reports of a violent bank robbery, causing the deaths of at least four policemen, and the injuries of over a dozen more. The authorities had described the event as amateur at best. That hadn't stopped the perpetrators from getting away with over 200,000 lien, of which Roan quickly discovered he had 50,000. Exactly. He had hesitated to believe that it could be from that stolen amount. He tried to convince himself it wasn't. And then the pictures were released to the public, and there, clearly seen carrying the same duffel bag Roan had received, was Asher, unloading a pistol in the direction of the police along with four others as they made their escape.

Roan had kept quiet. How could he not? Was he supposed to deny the girl her chance at life? Was he supposed to destroy the boy's efforts to save his sister? He couldn't bring himself to do it. Not now. Not after having watched over them both for so long. But that didn't stop him from feeling that guilt in his heart. His only comfort was Azure's smile. He shook himself from his reminiscing and turned to the window. For a moment, he gazed out at the clear sky above him, before returning his gaze to the girl he now watched over.

_I only wish you could have seen this, Asher._

* * *

**Author's Note- Well... Here's something. This is my first time actually putting something out there for other's to read(something entirely of my own thoughts, anyway), and I can only hope people enjoy it. This is an introduction chapter, a beginning, and a set up to what I hope is something enjoyable. I'm planning on switching perspectives every chapter or so, from out main cast(Team RWBY) and my own creations(Asher, Azure and Roan). Hopefully it doesn't get too confusing. Regardless, any comments, concerns, criticisms, praises, or anything in between is much appreciated.**

**Until next time, keep dreaming.**


	2. Planning a Heist

_2 years later_

A radio sat undisturbed on the counter next to the bed, displaying the current time of 7:29 even as it ticked away the seconds. Moments later, if flickered and changed to 7:30, and then it came to life, beeping annoyingly in an effort to awaken the single occupant of the room. For a moment, the only response was a groan of misery, and then the young man sat up, glaring at device that so wanted to disturb him. Regardless, he flicked the thing off and dragged himself to his feet, stretching out as he examining himself in a nearby mirror lazily. Dull, gray eyes stared back at him, even as his ash colored hair stuck out wildly. His eyes examined the scars along his body, rewards earned for jobs that hadn't gone as planned, before he made his way into the bathroom and went through the daily ritual of getting himself ready for the day ahead.

As he exited back into the bedroom a half-hour later, towel wrapped around his waist, his scroll, thrown haphazardly onto a desk the night before, vibrated softly. He snatched up the device and tapped away at it, a grin growing on his face as he read the message waiting there for him.

_Cafe on 1st Ave. 1000. Don't be late._

He dressed quickly yet carefully, black dress shoes, black suit pants, a collared white dress shirt, grey waistcoat and a simple blue tie to complete the effect. While two years ago he could have sworn that he wouldn't be caught dead in something this stuffy and upper-class, nowadays it had become the norm. His boss preferred a "class act" over simple, vulgar violence. Even if it inevitably ended up that way half the time anyway. Still, it did serve to leave a lasting impression on those they robbed. The man collected a few loose articles, his scroll, a pair of black gloves, his wallet, and a pair of sunglasses, pocketing each before smoothing down his tie and heading for the door. As he stepped out into the hallway, he glanced back into the hotel room one last time, noting the time to 8:28. Two minutes early. Not bad.

* * *

An hour and a half later, and the man was strolling up to the café, sunglasses in place over his eyes. 10:00, on the dot. He easily caught sight of his "associates", each dressed similarly to himself with slight... modifications. As he approached, the first to greet him, with a slight nod of his fedora-clad head, was the largest of the four present, easily towering over his fellows. Underneath his hat, shown only to those the older man trusted, were a pair of wolf ears, and part of the reason the man was so valued on the team. The other was his considerable skill with weapons of any and all kinds, gained from the years he'd spent as a White Fang operative. When you were in a pinch, he was the one to break you out. He was also the source of much of the younger's knowledge of his chosen profession, and had been the one to show him the proper way of handling a variety of weapons and situations.

"Asher."

"Bruno. Been a few weeks. Hope we get a big job this time. I see Ianthe over there too. How've you been?"

"Bored out of my skull. You lot poisoned me, you know that? Can't get any of the rush when there's not a cop in sight."

The woman, only few years older than Asher, was fiddling with her scroll, likely making adjustments to her equipment. Ianthe was the crew's "entry" specialist. When you needed to get into something, whether it was a bank vault or a locked computer, it was best left to her. She prided herself on never being kept out of something for long, and had so far proven her statement true. She was the newest of the accepted members of the crew, having joined a year after Asher himself. Her own change to the uniform was a thick muffler wrapped around her throat and mouth.

"Because we haven't heard that every time we meet. I missed you to, Ianthe."

"Hi! I'm Col-"

"No. Until we know you're sticking around, you're the New Guy. Got it?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"At least he pays attention. Anyone know where Slate is?"

"I'm right here, Asher. Running it a little close, aren't we?"

The much older man appeared as if from nowhere, dressed similarly to everyone else with a briefcase in one hand. The mastermind and leader of the criminals, he was the one who'd found Asher two years ago, and had given him a shot even without really knowing him. He was always the one to find the jobs, and was also the one to usually plan them out, although he encouraged input from everyone. Still, in his advancing years, he generally stuck to a support role, letting the younger members handle the physical work necessary unless he was absolutely needed. He slid his burden onto the table and sat down, even as the rest gathered around expectantly. As he always did, the leader of their crew made a show of slowly unlocking and opening the briefcase before handing to each a folder containing the info for the next job. The table descended into silence as each read what they'd been given, before Ianthe gave a low whistle.

"Well, boss. I gotta say, this is some daring stuff."

"I agree. A Schnee Dust Company payroll? Wouldn't they just move that stuff electronically?"

"You'd think. However, you can't exactly pay workers that don't have bank accounts electronically. Especially those you're paying below minimum wage. Therefore, they have to move the money physically to some of their more remote mining camps. As it so happens, I'm aware that said money will be passing through the city, and will, for a single day, be resting in one of our local banks."

"One of, boss?"

"Yes, Bruno, one of. While I know it'll be in the city, I can't be sure which bank, or when exactly it'll be here. Therefore, we'll need to do some digging before we can get start the our routine. We can at least be sure to prep the tools of our trade, though. Ianthe, can I leave that to you?"

"I got it. The usual toys will be ready and waiting."

"Thank you. Bruno, I'll need you to come with me to meet up with some friends of mine, we'll be needing a reliable getaway this time around. Perhaps multiple. We'll bring the new guy along as well. Won't hurt to have him learn some of the less exciting of our trade. Asher, can I leave handling the location to you?"

"Whatever you need, boss. Should I go to the Old Man?"

"No. He's gone to ground after the police nearly sniffed him out... Who was the one we used for the jewelry heist a month ago?"

"Uh... Junior? You sure boss? He seemed kinda..."

"His information was good, and that's all we need. You still have some lien left over from our last job?"

"Yeah, about five thousand. Don't worry, boss, I'll take care of it.

"I trust you, Asher. That should be it for now. Remember to alert me the moment you're all ready to meet up again. This concludes today's session."

As if on cue, all the participants stood and disappeared in different directions, assigned to their tasks, except for one, the newest member, who simply looked very confused at everything that had just occurred in front of him before hastily rising from his seat and jogging after Slate. Asher, for his part, barely looked back at all, mind already forming his own plan to track down Junior. While he was certain he wouldn't be too difficult to find, you still had to ask the right people. And sometimes the right people were the unsavory kind.

* * *

It was nearly one in the afternoon before Asher had found the kinds of people he need to talk to. The particular one's he'd found were some of the normal street scum, dressed in rags and barely able to keep their heads above water. However, they would know where he could find someone local, like Junior, and that's what Asher wanted. Still, talking to them was sometimes like talking to a brick wall, and he could only hope this time wouldn't devolve into violence. All told, however, he was still going to have to talk to the six thugs waiting around at their meager excuse for a hideout, here in a back alley hidden away from public view. Asher took a deep breath, immediately regretted it, and strode forward, plastering a pleasant smile on his face.

"Hello, boys! Nice day for a walk, isn't it?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"Hey! No need to get so angry. I'm just here to get some information, that's all. I need to find someone named Junior."

The name put the thugs on edge, and Asher could feel the tension increase. He sighed before putting his hands up as a gesture of peace, not particularly keen on getting into any brawls. Of course, he hadn't exactly expected them to suddenly get so defensive at just the drop of a name, but that at least said something about the man's reputation. It was certainly better than the impression he'd actually gotten from the man himself.

"So, uh... you need to frisk me now, or...?"

"We don't deal with Junior! Beat it, idiot!"

"I didn't ask you to deal with the guy. Look, I can even pay yo-"

"I said beat it!"

The loudmouth, apparently the only one who could speak for the gang as a whole, stepped up and took a swing at the man in front of him. Unfortunately for the poor man, the one he'd chosen to get into a fight with was trained by someone well versed in combat. As the punch came in, Asher's left hand came up to turn the blow aside and catch the arm behind it. Asher turned to the side, pulling the man towards him even as his elbow came up to meet the thug's face. The result was the gangbanger's nose getting twisted in ways it shouldn't, and forcing the man to stumble back in surprise and shock, which Asher took as an opportunity to snap a kick into the man's chest, sending him to the floor. The thugs all stopped, staring in stunned silence, as Asher straightened out his clothes and picked irritably at his now bloody sleeve. Slate wouldn't be happy about that.

"Anyone else want to try anything? No? Good. Now then, since you seem to be the leader of this little gang, I'm gonna be straight with you. I didn't really want to hurt you, and my boss is gonna be pretty pissed about the cleaning bill for this shirt I just bloodied breaking your nose. And you, well... your nose is broken. Bad day for everybody. I was gonna pay you, but since you had to be so pig-headed, I'm just gonna ask you, and you are going to tell me.

"Where do I find Junior? Or do I start breaking more things till you start talking?"

* * *

At 11:00 sharp Asher stood outside a club said to be Junior's usual haunt, the music heard even from all the way out here. He stared at it somewhat skeptically, he personally wouldn't bother with the place, but then again, he wasn't known for his desire to party. Asher took a moment to make sure he was presentable, or at least as presentable as he could with a massive red stain on his shirt sleeve, before he stepped towards the door. Here's hoping the rest of the night would go smoothly.

If only he knew how wrong he could be.

* * *

**Author's Note- Because now that I've started writing, I can't stop myself. Regardless, next chapter we'll be switching our focus to Yang Xiao Long, as well as modifying her trailer somewhat. Not too much, just snippets here and there, but we'll see how it goes. As always, comments are much appreciated.**

**Until next time, keep dreaming.**


	3. Dance Floor Brawl

The roar of the engine cut through the night air as it slid down city streets, its single occupant's hair flaring out behind her like a golden cloak. For the rider, it was a pleasant beginning to a hopefully informative night, although she was still somewhat skeptical of the information she'd received. After searching for a couple of years, how was she supposed to believe someone so close to home would know anything about who she was looking for? Still, any leads were better than no leads, and it wouldn't hurt to check things out. Besides, by all accounts, this Junior was cocky, chances were she'd at least get a good brawl out of it. The thought brought a grin to the young woman's face, even as she finally reached her destination and skidded to a halt in front of the building.

As she dismounted from her bike Yang Xiao Long's grin faded slightly, ears picking up the telltale sound of heart thumping music, and she strode off, confidence oozing out of her with every step. Once inside she found herself pausing at the top of the steps leading to the dance floor, eyes taking in the sight before her and scanning for her prey. Not seeing him, she ventured further in, noting absent-mindedly the few thuggish guards she passed. They did little to curb her steadily growing enthusiasm, their presence only confirmed the man she wanted was here. Sure enough, after wandering for a few minutes, she spotted the informant, finishing up a chat with a man she could barely make out through all the flashing lights. She immediately turned to make her way over, but by the time she'd neared the bar he'd taken a spot next to, she found Junior already engaged in conversation with another man, perhaps her age, eyes covered by black sunglasses and sleeve stained red. She frowned slightly a moment, eyes trying to place the somewhat familiar face. She could have sworn she'd seen him somewhere before. She shook the thoughts away as she sauntered up behind Junior, sparing him a glance before turning to the bartender.

"-sure it'll be at the Third Street Branch?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I gave you good information last time, didn't I?"

"I guess."

"Strawberry sunrise. No ice... Oh! And one of those little umbrellas."

"What about the day?"

"Hold on." Junior had glanced over his shoulder at Yang as she'd ordered, and had obviously lost interest in whatever conversation he'd just been having. Instead, his focus shifted to the blonde beauty behind him, which just served to irritate the man he was with. "Aren't you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?"

Yang giggled to herself, right out of the gate and he was already coming up with a lame pick-up line! Still, she relished the chance to destroy the man's hopes, and she turned to give him her full attention. Her eyes briefly strayed to the man who was now on the other side of the informant before returning to her quarry. This was going to be fun.

"Aren't you a little old to have a name like Junior?"

"So you know who I am. You got a name, Sweetheart?"

"Yes Junior, I've got several. But instead of Sweetheart-" Yang stepped a little closer and slid her finger down the front of the man's chest, inching closer to it's destination and pausing just a moment before latching onto the prize and squeezing painfully, a cocky grin spreading across her face as the man's eyes bugged out and a pained squeal escaped his mouth. "- you can call me Sir! People say you know everything. Tell me where I can find her, and I'll let you go."

Yang pulled out her scroll and opened it up for Junior, displaying a picture of the girl she was searching for. The informant barely glanced at it before swearing, voice filled with pain, that he'd never seen her before. Yang, noting the absence of the suggested sir, squeezed harder, eliciting another yelp of pain before he hastily repeated his answer, careful to add a sir to the end. Just as he finished his second reply, the man's thugs rushed up, surrounding the pair as Yang contemplated the answer. Figuring that she wasn't going to get much more out of him, she decided it would probably be best to let the man go, but she just couldn't resist getting in one final jab.

"Hm... Looks like we have an audience. This must be kinda embarrassing for you, huh? Awkward."

"Listen. Blondie. Sir. If you want to make it out of this club alive, I suggest you let me go. Now."

For a moment, Yang's anger spiked, but she kept it simmering below the surface. She'd been contemplating just letting him go and walking out, easy as you please, but getting threatened didn't sit well with the blonde. She kept hold a moment longer as she decided what to do, before letting him go, an evil plan forming. She couldn't pass up the chance to mess with the poor guy some more, and with a brawl sure to follow, tonight was looking to be a good night. Junior let out a sigh of relief before pulling out a pair of red sunglasses, sliding them onto his face as he started to stalk away, Yang moving to keep pace and thugs making sure to keep them surrounded.

"You'll pay for that."

"Oh Junior. I was just playing with you. Don't be so sensitive! Come on, let's kiss and make up okay?"

Junior halted in his movements, turning to face the busty blonde with a look of shock and confusion on his face. Yang giggled in anticipation, then leaned just ever so slightly forward, eyes closing, as if she was perfectly willing to follow through with her suggestion. She waited for a few seconds, and then, when she could practically feel Junior's breath brushing against her face, she straightened her body, fist snapping outwards and connecting with the man's face, sending him through a glass pillar and into the wall behind it. Somewhere nearby, a voice shouted something about still needing him, but the brawler ignored it, having far more interesting things to focus on. A grin formed for the umpteenth time on Yang's face as the thugs started to recover from their initial shock, all turning to face the brawler. She settled back into a fighting stance, Ember Celica deploying from their bracelet form into metal gauntlets, and she snapped off a quick right jab, cocking the shotgun hidden within. The thugs charged en masse, and she leapt into the air, the world seeming to slow to a crawl as she empowered her fist with her semblance, grin growing all the while. The music faded for just a moment, and she could have sworn, from somewhere off to the side, a comment that summed up the situation for the thugs beautifully.

"Aw... shi-"

Then her body was pulled down to the earth, and as her fist connected with the ground, a shockwave of force hurled everyone around her in all directions. Flames seem to envelop her a moment, and as she righted herself, the thrill of combat hit her. This was going to be fun. Then she flew into action, delivering pain to everyone in her path. Thugs went flying as she delivered devastating jabs and kicks, coupled with bursts of gunfire from her gauntlets. She tore her way through the lot of them, and the DJ, likely thinking he was safe up on his balcony, opened fire with a machine gun, only to discover that the bursts of fire and force coming from her weapons of choice could, in fact, push her high enough to reach him. The poor man quickly found himself flying through the air, landing at the feet of a pair of girls, both looking rather bored with the situation.

"Melanie, who is this girl?"

"I don't know Miltia, but we should teach her a lesson."

Yang snorted before thumbing the ammo release on her gauntlets and ejecting the spent "Roar" rounds, as she'd named them. Instead of pulling out similar rounds to reload with, however, she chose to go with what she called her little "Fireballs", the fired bullets leading to an explosive finish and with longer range than those used before. She expertly tossed the banded rounds up into the air, arms snapping out to catch the round just right and load them perfectly into Ember Celica. Then she was back into the fray, leaping off the balcony and firing off round after round towards her newest opponents. They dodged backwards, then split away from each other, surrounding the blonde and using their numbers to force Yang into a defensive position. Yang snapped off block after block, hoping for an opening, but the twins seemed to know how to work together, and they came together for a final devastating kick at the end of their combination, hurling the brawler through the air and over the bar's counter. Yang blinked in surprise, then frowned at the ceiling she found herself staring at. Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.

"Whoa, hey! You come here often?"

Yang's attention was dragged from her surprise to find the man from earlier, the one talking to Junior before her, hiding behind the counter, counting off what looked like lien bills. She found herself staring in stunned silence, before finally responding with something she would replace in later tellings with something far more witty.

"Huh?"

"Oh. Real zinger, that one."

"Wha- No! What are you doing behind the bar?"

"Hiding. Looking through their cash register, too, but mostly hiding."

"You- You're _robbing_ them? In the middle of a brawl?"

"I prefer to call it a 'reallocation of funds', but yeah, pretty much just robbin em. Best time to do it, too. Personally, with the way you're demolishing them, I don't think they'll notice losing... forty... fifty... sixty... sixty-five... sixty-seven lien! And change. Although, do you really have time to be chatting with me?"

The last comment brought her thoughts back into focus, and Yang pulled herself upright and vaulted the bar counter, immediately catching sight of the twins. She took a moment to push any remaining thoughts about the young man behind the bar from her mind before she threw herself forward, delivering a devastating punch to the white clothed one, sending her tumbling away. Without her partner, the red one lasted only moments, managing a few blocks before the blonde smashed through her defenses and demolished another unsuspecting glass pillar with her opponent's body. Then Yang's focus was on the white, and the pair of fighters began trading blows, practically dancing across the floor as gunfire was turned aside and bladed kicks were deflected. However, Yang switched tactics in the middle of one of her enemy's charges, spinning around a kick and delivering an elbow directly to the girl's gut, forcing her to double over and leave an arm in the open. Yang happily took the opportunity, grabbing hold and dragging the girl in a half-circle around herself before releasing and spinning her body the other way, bringing her leg up to deliver the finishing blow to her opponent's face. The satisfying thud was all Yang needed to know her enemy was done.

The blonde straightened up and glanced around, eyes searching for Junior, who was not where she remembered leaving him, only to have a spotlight turn on and direct her attention to the man, now carrying a bazooka on his shoulder. Even after all his thugs and his little girl bodyguards down for the count, he still managed to somehow keep a smug, cocky smile on his face, and he wasted no time in trying to reinforce his image with a bad-ass comment.

"You're gonna to pay for this."

Yang frowned a moment, she could have sworn he'd already said something like that, only for the man to open fire, a swarm of missiles arching out of the front of the weapon to home in on her. The volley caught her by surprise, and she jumped backwards, hurling her body around to evade the explosive projectiles. The second volley she was more prepared for, and bursts of fire from her gauntlets defeated the assault. What she didn't expect was the bastard to come at her through the resulting smoke, bazooka changed into a large bat, hitting her when her stance was already broken and forcing her back before sending her hurtling through the air for the second time of the night, only this time through some glass furniture. She pulled herself to her feet, grinning at the sudden challenge, before she slammed her fist together, pumping herself up and causing her aura and semblance to flair in anticipation. Golden hair glowing as if on fire, she charged forward, dodging a pair of missiles and another pair of clumsy swings before she began to rain fiery punch after fiery punch to Junior's face and body, the last blow in the chain filled with her semblance and snapping his weapon and feeble guard in half, forcing him to tumble back.

Junior straightened himself out, looking a little surprised at the loss of his weapon, but as he glanced at his other hand, the cocky grin came back and he glared at Yang in triumph. Somehow, in the barrage of blows she'd delivered, he managed to rip out a few of her golden locks. Yang blinked in surprise, before her gaze sharpened with anger and she pushed her aura to the limit, an explosion of fire surrounding her and the world seemingly turning white. The blonde brawler, screaming the whole while, charged forward, eyes filled with rage at the destruction of her precious golden locks. Junior face filled with fear, and he started to turn away, likely hoping to run, but by then it was too late. Yang's fist, filled with every ounce of rage she could muster, smashed into the poor man's face, sending out another destructive explosion of fire and force, enough to hurl the informant's unconscious body out a window, and leave every other window in the place shattered beyond repair. Yang leapt out after the destroyer of hair, ready and willing to wake him up just to pummel him a couple more times, only to run into a familiar and much adored face. Her anger was almost instantly forgotten, replaced with a rueful grin.

"Yang? Is that you?"

"Oh! Hey, Sis!"

"What are you doing here?"

Yang paused, wondering how she'd explain this, only to sigh and shrug slightly.

"It's a long story... Hey, wait a minute! What are _you _doing here?"

"Uh..."

"Aw! Were you lonely without your big sis around?"

"I- I wasn't lonely! I was just... um... wondering where you were! Yeah!"

"Whatever you say, sis. I know you couldn't live without me. Come on, let's go home."

The blonde brawler was already looking forward to teasing her sister about following her. But as they started towards her miraculously untouched bike, Yang paused, turning back to stare at the now decimated club. For a moment she found herself wondering whatever happened to the man from before, but Ruby's voice cut into her musings, forcing her to turn back to her bike and mount up, making sure to force her one helmet onto her younger sibling. Then they were off, any thoughts in Yang's mind about the man already forgotten as they headed off towards home, warm beds, and endless teasing.

* * *

Minutes after the club destroying blonde and her sister had left, a grey haired man stepped out of the club, brushing glass from his clothes as best he could. He sighed as he surveyed the damage, dozens of rips had appeared in the cloth, and the boss wasn't going to be happy. Still, a quick glance around found the unconscious informant, and with a sigh of defeat, Asher strode over and crouched next to the body, slapping the man's cheeks to wake him up, even if only a little.

"Hey. Hey! Wake up! I'm not done with you yet!"

Junior moaned in pain, then somehow rose up onto his elbows, eyes swimming in and out of focus. It was clear that Junior wasn't in any state to be doing business, but Asher had priorities, and Junior's health wasn't one of them. The grey haired criminal slapped Junior lightly across the face again, hoping it might wake him up a little more, before getting down to the last bit of information he needed.

"Nice of you join me. You never gave me the day."

"Huh?"

"The day! For the payroll? The one that's supposed to be at the Third Street Branch of the Vale City Bank?"

"Uh... right... day... um..."

The sound of sirens caught Asher's attention, and he huffed in annoyance. He didn't have time to hang around. A run in with the cops wasn't high on his list of things to do, and he certainly wasn't going to be caught along with Junior. He slapped the man again, hoping to get him to focus, before he kept pushing on with his questioning.

"Come on, hurry up, we haven't got all night."

"Day... uh... day... Payment! I need payment!"

"I'll give you everything I got in my last theft. Now hurry up!"

"The 17th! It's supposed to be there on the 17th!"

"Thanks. Here's the contents of your cash register by the way. Hope it helps you get a good lawyer."

Asher dropped sixty-seven lien, plus change, on the man's chest as Junior finally collapsed again, before standing and slipping away. While he questioned the validity of the information, he was sure Slate would have ways of double checking. The cops arrived a few minutes later, marveling at the level of destruction that had been visited upon the building, before taking everyone within the building into custody. As the police loaded Junior onto an ambulance, many could swear they heard him mumbling about a blonde haired demon and the 17th.

* * *

**Author's Note- I don't know how well I did, or how well my own adjustments worked, but hopefully I did Yang justice. Or at least didn't completely demolish things. Regardless, we'll be getting to the bank job next chapter. We'll see how that goes. I'm still debating whether I should do a Masked Robbers style or a more 1920's fame grabbing style. I'm tempted to do the latter, just because it seems more fun, but it doesn't really make much sense to me in terms of practicality... Eh. If anyone has any thoughts, send them my way. Never hurts to have multiple opinions.**

**On a completely unrelated, it came to my attention while writing this that Yang does, in fact, have TWO different kinds of rounds. I did not notice that before. Regardless, I took a stab at naming them... something. Can't say how well I did, but I needed a way to differentiate between the two. If anyone has any better suggestions for that to, I'd be much obliged.**

**As always, comments are much appreciated and, until next time, keep dreaming.**


	4. The Payroll Heist

For many would be robbers, having only a week to plan a job was disastrous. Many would simply give up there, incapable of coming up with the necessary equipment and plans needed to do the job. For Slate's crew, however, this was little more than a minor inconvenience. They prided themselves on what the old leader dubbed "creative solutions", preferring to go into their thefts with the minimal plans necessary and the widest amount of equipment, so that options and changes to the plan could be made easily and as necessary. While it certainly couldn't be called the safest of methods, the group had been brought together specifically for their skill at adaptation, and they hadn't disappointed yet.

So, just after lunch time on the 17th, a simple inconspicuous van drove through the streets of Vale, an older man at the wheel as his crew members set to work behind him, checking over equipment as they always did, while Bruno explained the workings of a shotgun to the newest addition.

"So... I just, pump this back, and it reloads?"

"No, that chambers a new round. You reload by pushing new rounds into the tube here."

"That's this thing here?"

"Boss, where did you find this guy?"

"Bruno, calm down. Give him time. Even Asher there took awhile to understand it, didn't he?"

"Asher at least knew what chambering meant... Give me that."

Asher chuckled lightly as he checked his own weapon of choice, watching Bruno seize the weapon, clearly not trusting the new guy with the thing. The gun in his hands was as generic as you could get, a relatively common submachine gun referred to by many in the criminal world as the "Tommy" gun. He remembered Slate seeming completely outraged that he'd left his half-finished personal weapon at Signal, but some part of him back then had felt like that was best. That, he'd reasoned, was a Hunter's weapon, a hero's weapon. He was by no mean's a hero, not anymore. Bruno later beat that out of him, insisting that a weapon was a weapon, and ever since, Asher had taken the idea to heart. Still, deep down, he would admit to himself that after constructing a weapon for your own hands with your own hands, even if only half-finished, all others just seemed to pale in comparison. A clanking of metal interrupted the gray-haired robber's thoughts, and he glanced over at the woman of the group, who was sliding her hands eagerly over a massive cannon like object.

"Uh, Ianthe? What in Remnant is that?"

"This? It's my newest toy! I call it a Vault Buster. As _everybody_ knows, most vaults are actually made of concrete, and if you can cut through the layer of steel on the outside, then you basically just need to get through stone. So I figured, why not make something that'll just punch through everything? I mean, once I get through the steel and the concrete, all I need to do is blow off the part where the hinges are, and bam! We're in! See, the Vault Buster uses a-"

"Right, right. Hopelessly complicated mechanism. Got it. You have normal options in case that doesn't work, right?"

"Of course I do! What, do I look like I wouldn't have options? I'm making the new guy carry in the Dust torch too, so if we have to, we can cut our way in like normal. It'll just take me a good twenty minutes to get in instead of only five. Or we could try "

"Time we can buy you. You know we can. Well... Bruno can. I can shoot at them ineffectually. And shout a lot."

"Hush up you two. We're almost there. Everyone knows the basic plan? Ianthe will go around the back of the building and cut the security systems off the grid. Once she's done that, you'll go in through the front door. Bruno and Asher will take care of the guards and civilians, while Ianthe and our newest member will find the vault door and get to work opening it up. If everything goes smoothly, we should be in and out without the police ever showing up."

"Yeah, right. Like every other time we've done this." Asher's retort was dripping with sarcasm, and Ianthe giggled at the remark, clearly in agreement.

"Yes, well, we can only do what we can. And if the police show up, then we-"

"We ad-lib!" The entire grouped shouted back at the leader, clearly having received those words of wisdom one too many times.

"On the mark. Once you have the payroll, call me and I'll swing by with the van, assuming all went well. If not, then we'll go to plan B. It'll cost us a good amount, but I've secured the service of a dust plane pilot, if needed. He'll take you to a point outside the city, and we'll meet up from there."

"W-wait! Shouldn't we have, like... masks or something?"

The rest of the crew turned to stare at the new guy with barely hidden disgust, Slate even slamming onto the breaks to turn in his seat in outrage. The poor man sunk into his seat, suddenly realizing he'd probably just said something taboo, but that did nothing to stop Slate's angry tirade.

"Are you out of your mind!? What's the point of doing what we do if we don't become infamous!? And what's the point of being a criminal at all if nobody knows you did anything!? I will not stand for that! I will make sure my name goes down in history for performing the greatest of crimes! I will make sure ALL our names go down in history! This is MY dream! And in order to realize that dream, our crimes will be made with our faces in the open, so that the world will know of our skill!"

The older man turned back and kept on driving, while the three veteran members of the team went back to checking equipment, the newest merely gaped at all of them, clearly not believing what he'd just heard. Silence reigned, before the new guy turned to the others, keeping his voice low to avoid antagonizing their leader.

"Are all of you doing this just for the fame?"

"Of course not. I'm an ex-member of the White Fang, and Slate saved my life. I repay my debts, regardless of where that takes me. Ianthe just wants to get the thrill of cracking open a difficult safe, and testing out her new inventions. As for Asher... his reasons are personal. If he feels like telling you, he will."

"But... why would you bother doing it this way? Isn't it easier to get caught?"

"You'd think. But with all the stuff going on with the Schnee Dust Company, and the White Fang, and that Torch guy, barely anybody seems to care about a bunch of bank robbers nowadays."

Bruno had been the one to reply, always the quickest to look out for the new members. Still, the rest of the ride was uncomfortably tense, and it was a relief for everybody when the bank was spotted. The van pulled up beside the building, and Slate turned back to give one last command, the one each one of the criminals had waited for.

"Boys and Girls... let's go commit a crime."

The whole crew pulled on their black gloves, the universal symbol in the gang that it was time to work, as Ianthe stepped out, leaving her Vault Buster behind as she slipped behind the building. A few minutes passes before she slipped into view again, giving the thumbs up to the crew. They all piled out, hefting weapons, duffel bags and the equipment they would need. They all paused in front of the bank's double doors, Asher glancing among his fellows before plastering a grin on his face and "getting into character". He took that last step forward and burst into the bank with a kick, letting out a piercing whistle once inside as the others swept past.

"Good Afternoon, Third Street Branch! I'd like everyone to get down on the ground, place their hands behind their heads and please-" Asher swung his gun to face the clerks, that grin on his face widening as he nodded at them, "- don't hit any alarms. It would make my friend there very unhappy."

Bruno was already settling into his role, making a beeline for a guard that was already reaching for his walkie-talkie and chopping him in the throat, just hard enough to stun the poor man before dropping him to the floor. The communication device was tossed unceremoniously out a window, and Bruno continued like this, hunting through the building further in for any other guards there might be. The tellers were quick to back away from the counter and everyone inside the building slid to the ground, following instructions out of fear. Ianthe and the newcomer came behind the faunas criminal, lugging the heavier pieces of equipment behind them on their way to the vault as Asher continued in his role as the "face" of the crew.

"Don't worry folks, we're not too keen on killing. Just gonna take what we came for and walk away, and you'll all be able to get on with your days like nothing happened." Asher strolled among the citizens, eyes searching for any signs of aggression or heroism. Those were always the worst, always ended up getting themselves hurt, and never did much good. As he came up to one woman laying on the ground, he noticed an envelope lying on the ground, filled with lien. He paused a moment, then crouched down next to the terrified woman, smiling pleasantly. "Excuse me. I hate to ask, really, but um... is this money your's, or the banks?"

"I-I-I-It's m-m-mine..."

"Oh? Well then, keep it. We're only here for the banks."

"Fuck!" Ianthe's voice echoed from wherever she was working, her frustration clear in her voice.

"What's up, Ianthe!"

"The Vault Buster doesn't work!"

"Of course it doesn't... can you believe her, folks? I mean, who builds complicated contraptions for something a simple industrial grade dust torch can do? Am I right?"

Asher sighed in mock exasperation as he stood, Bruno bursting back into the room while leading a couple of guards by the neck and tossing them to the floor. He grunted something unintelligible, then joined Asher in his pacing, keeping an eye on the hostages. Asher, for his part, kept talking, rambling about anything and everything, trying to keep the tension down and the crowd as relaxed as he could. Well, as relaxed as you could be in a bank robbery. Minutes ticked by as he walked around, but he was interrupted halfway through his rant about the personal cleanliness required in criminals when the sudden sound of sirens pulling up to the bank was heard. Bruno slipped over to a nearby window and snarled before turning back to Asher.

"Cops are here." Bruno turned away to shout at their safe cracker. "Ianthe!"

"What?! I'm trying to work here!"

"Cops are here!"

"Oh... Well that's bad!"

"Yeah, I would say that was bad, Ianthe!" Bruno's temper flared, clearly unhappy with how things were going, but he stuck to his role, keeping an eye on the police officers outside. He mumbled a couple more unintelligible words before turning to Asher, looking resigned to his fate. "I'll call it in to the boss, you deal with the talking if the cops starts shouting at us."

"You got it. Hey, anyone got a shout out they want the cops to hear? No? Wow. Last group I asked wouldn't shut up. I'd have figured at least a few of you would have something, though. Oh well. Ianthe! How much time you need!"

"Another ten minutes?"

"Was that a question?"

"Definitely another ten minutes!"

"Send the new guy up here, you don't need him back there."

A five minutes ticked by as the cops set up their blockade and the new guy joined the two in the public area. The three positioned themselves by the windows, ready to deal with whatever the police through at them, but just as the five-minute mark passed, a man dressed in a black suit stepped out from behind a police car, megaphone held up to carry his voice. Bruno growled unconsciously, causing Asher to raise an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Schnee bodyguard." Was all the wolf-faunas provided, even as he slipped his personal weapon from its place in his pocket. The small, fang looking dagger, named Fenrir by its wielder, fit easily in the man's hand, and he started twirling it expertly, "warming up" as he called it. Asher had little time to observe his friend, however, as the bodyguard in question began speaking.

"This is a warning to the robbers inside. You are taking hostile action against the Schnee Dust Company. If you stop all actions and give yourselves up, we promise you'll be let off with an easy sentence."

"Can they do that?"

"Dunno, new guy, let's ask. Hey! Can you really do that?!"

The question seemed to throw the bodyguard off for a moment, before he settled into his role once again, bringing the megaphone back up to his mouth.

"Mr. Schnee has promised not to press any charges for the crime being committed today, but he cannot promise any of those committed in the past."

"Seems like they can do that. Although, you know, with all the stuff we've done... Hey! What if we say no!?"

"Then I'm afraid that we will be forced to bring the full extent of the law upon you, as well as bring you into custody using all the resources we have available."

"Well, that seems kinda extreme."

"Three minutes! I just need three more minutes! God this is so exciting!" Ianthe's voice cut through the air, practically a shrill squeal thanks to her growing enthusiasm. With the cop's arrival, her enjoyment of their situation had just skyrocketed, and demands always got her blood pumping.

"Could we get some time to think?! Like... five minutes?"

"... You have five minutes. No more. After that, we WILL be coming in after you."

The bodyguard thrust the megaphone into a cop's hands, even as another cop rushed up to him to begin pestering him about the danger to the hostages inside. The bodyguard ignored him, clearly unconcerned, even largely uncaring of the end fates of those inside. He had a larger issue with the events taking place and it didn't help that things were going this way. He needed to hurry. Waiting five minutes was a risk, but thankfully the guard had another plan in motion. There had been a pair of hunters nearby, and if they were lucky, they'd be able to convince the two to help...

Back inside the bank, the minutes ticked away in tense silence, the only sound coming from the back where Ianthe cut away at the vault door's locking mechanism. Just as the third minute ended, Ianthe let out a shout of joy, and the sound of a sealed door releasing could be heard. Asher immediately grabbed the newcomer and headed back towards Ianthe, patting the woman on the head as she packed up the massive torch and slipping past her into the vault. What he saw made his grin come back in full. The new guy next to him whistled in appreciation, clearly unused to seeing the amount of money stacked in front of him. Ianthe joined them a moment later, hands clapping with joy.

"Jackpot!"

"I'll say. Let's get this stuff bagged up and-"

"Hey, Asher. What's this thing?"

The new guy interrupted him before he could finish, but what Asher was directed to could only be described as priceless. There, sitting next to the stacked lien, was a perfectly rounded, clear gem, beautiful and sparkling, that seemed to glow unnaturally. Everyone stared at it in awe for a moment, before Asher shook himself from his shock and frowned slightly, suddenly suspicious. His eyes settled on an opened deposit box, and he examined it to find nothing really wrong with it.

"Why would something like this just... happen? Seems a little odd to me..."

"Who knows and who cares? Let's take the damn thing! We'll be rich!"

The newcomer scooped up the gem and shoved it into his duffel bag, then began shoveling stacks of lien into it from the pile. Ianthe and Asher shared a look before following suit, filling the duffel bags quickly. Once four were full to the brim, each of the criminals through their bag over their shoulder, Asher taking the fourth one to hand off to Bruno on the way out. Just as they exited the vault, prize in hand, they heard a gunshot go off, and Bruno voice cut through the air in warning.

"Hunters!"

Two windows suddenly exploded, and a pair of hunters, dressed in green and orange, rolled into the room, brothers by the looks of them. One pulled a pair of pistols from his belt, which expanded into a pair of smaller axes, the other drew a crossbow. Almost instantly, the hostages screamed in terror and curled away, fearful of the shards of glass and the sudden violence, but Bruno charged straight through, ignoring the small cuts in favor of reaching his prey, fedora sliding from his head in the sudden burst of movement and wolf ears laid back in feral aggression. Dagger met axes in a sudden and lightning fast exchange of blows. Soon, the two were darting around the room, their movements too quick for Asher to follow, and he didn't even bother trying. Instead, he slid the duffel bag from his shoulder and tossed it to the new guy, bringing his tommy gun up with the other and unloading at the second hunter. That one knew what they were doing, diving behind cover to avoid the hail of bullets, granting Asher enough time to issue some orders.

"Ianthe. Take the bags and get to the pick-up. Pilot should already be on his way, if he isn't already here!"

"Are you crazy? Those are hunter! What are you going to do against that? Leave this to Bruno!"

"I can't just leave him fighting two on one. Besides, I trained a little at Signal, you know that. Now go!"

As the pair took off to find a way up to the roof, Asher turned back to his opponent, unloading the rest of the clip in his general direction before throwing himself to the side as the hunter returned fire, a red glowing something zipping by his head and exploding in a shower of rubble behind him. Asher was shocked for a second, before his role hit him again and he started turned back to the hunter in a mixture of fake and real anger.

"I thought I was supposed to be the bad guy? What happened to protecting the citizens?"

"Who cares about them! I'm getting payed to catch you, not protect them!"

The hunter fired off another shot, forcing Asher to throw himself over the teller's counter before said counter exploded around him, leaving him without cover again. Fear hit him hard, he wasn't used to dealing with hunters on his own, before he managed to get himself in motion again and throw himself haphazardly over a desk, dragging a screaming bank teller with him as another crossbow bolt missed the poor woman by inches. The young criminal glanced at Bruno and his fight, and saw the two exchanging blow after blow, but it didn't look like he'd be getting any help from there.

"Why'd I think this was such a good idea?" He muttered to himself, before finally fishing another clip from where'd he'd shoved a few spares and slapping it in before standing up to unload another spray of bullets in his enemy's direction. The hunter wasn't there, however, and Asher blinked before he sensed something from the side and snap his head backwards, a bolt passing in front of his eyes almost before he could register it. He caught something else in the split second before the bolt exploded, a cop rushing in to get the hostages to safety. The bolt struck him square in the chest before detonating, almost instantly vaporizing the poor man. Asher gaped in shock, before he turned his head towards the crossbow wielding hunter and found him to be a bit closer than before. Deciding a ranged fight was going to end badly and just cause more harm to the hostages still scattered across the floor, Asher charged forward as the man reloaded, throwing his body into the surprised hunter and sending them both tumbling to the ground, weapons sent skittering across the floor. Asher only got one straight jab to the hunter's face before he found his arm suddenly grabbed and his face meeting the floor. His only real thought was that his strategy could have gone better, but at least the hostages were safe. Well... safer.

* * *

"ASHER!"

"No you don't, you faunas bastard!"

Bruno tried to disengage to help out his teammate, but his opponent refused to let him go, and Bruno could only throw himself harder into his fight, hoping to find an opening and end it quickly. Both were excellent close combat fighters however, and Bruno could only watch helplessly as Asher, a dropout of combat school and only trained by Bruno to deal with the common thug or cop, was swiftly subdued. By then, however, the police had stormed the place, screaming about rights and legal custody, and the sudden activity threw off his opponent for a second, leaving himself open. Bruno took it without hesitation, charging forward and driving his shoulder into the man's stomach before twisting his body around, bring his dagger up to jab into the man's throat, sending blood everywhere as his heart did the rest of Bruno's bloody work for him. He spun to try to reach Asher, but cops were already identifying him as a threat and surrounding him, guns drawn. His growled in rage before snapping a kick into a cop's face and shattering bone, determined to free his friend, before Asher's voice cut through the chaos.

"Bruno! Get out! Tell the boss! He'll know what to do! Tell the bo-"

"Shut up you damn kid!"

The wolf faunas snarled again as his sensitive ears picked out the sound of a painful sounding punch, but he did as instructed, cutting his way through a few more cops before diving out another window, glass shattering around him. He rolled to his feet as he reached the other side, and gunfire began to bite at his heels as he took off into the streets, ears trying to pick out the sounds of a dust plane. Mere moments later, he heard it, coming in low and fast, and he glanced up to see the thing fly down along the street, side door opened and Ianthe reaching down to offer a helping hand. He threw himself upwards as hard as he could, forcing his aura to reinforce the movement, and he managed to grab hold of his teammate's hand and get help hauling himself onto the dust plane.

"Where's Asher?"

"They cuffed him!"

"Damnit! Hey! Get us out of here!"

The dust plane's engines fired up fully, sending the plane hurtling into the air, leaving the cops, the hunters, and Asher behind. Bruno, stared out at the building as long as he could before Ianthe closed up the door, the woman sliding to the floor, her body shaking slightly as she fidgeted uncomfortably. Bruno watched silently for a moment, before he went over and sat down next to her, sliding a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"You alright?"

"No! I'm not alright! You know what we lost back there!? Do you?!"

"I know, Asher was my friend to-"

"Fuck Asher! We left my design back there! The Vault Buster! You know how long that took to build!?"

Bruno stared at her in shock, before a low growl escaped his throat and his eyes narrowed. One of their friends was in custody and she was worried about a damned toy? He felt his hand tighten on Fenrir, dangerous thoughts of the dagger and her throat passing through his mind, before he noticed that Ianthe's eyes were threatening tears, and her chest was rising and falling shakily at best. He took a deep breath and released the tension, before pulling her tighter to his body, patting her arm gently.

"Don't worry. We'll get him back. We'll break him out of prison if we have to. Not like we haven't done it before."

"Heh... that's something... why's he always got to be playing the hero..." Ianthe laughed weakly, and suddenly she broke down, shoulder's rocking with her sobs. With everything they'd done, Asher would normally be fine, but if the Schnee's got their hands on him... Bruno kept his arm around her, trying to come up with something to say, but could do nothing but give a lame reply.

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

Bruno closed his eyes, trying to relax as much as possible, all the while imprinting everything he could about the crossbow bearing hunter into his thoughts. He would remember that one. And if anything happened to Asher, the wolf-faunas would go hunting. Because no one, absolutely no one, hurt members of his small family and got away with it. Not without having a wolf bite back.

The two crew mates, distracted as they were, failed to notice the newest member digging through a duffel bag and extracting the glowing gemstone. The man marveled at it a moment before glancing around and sliding it into a pocket. With everything that had happened, no one would miss it, right?


	5. Interrogation Blues

"- and to continue off of a topic brought up by Ms. Mercury, the debate of nature vs. nurture as it pertains to the aura and, perhaps more importantly, semblance. Now there are numerous reasonings on both sides, but to touch on Ms. Mercury's theory, the idea that a semblance can be nurtured in certain direction before it fully manifests is one largely considered invalid. While it is true that major events seem to shape the semblance to suit it, allowing the wielder to overcome the situation in which they find themselves, many believe that this is instead a simple case of the wielder happening to be in a situation in which the semblance could be used to their benefit. Still, the concept that the semblance might somehow be manipulated in some way before it is first manifested was researched by famed researcher-"

Azure Mercury, 15 years old and bored out of her mind in an Aura Research class here at Signal Academy. The girl would have much preferred to be doing something more productive, like learning more combat skills she could apply to humans. She fidgeted slightly in her seat before allowing her eyes to wander around the room. Eventually they found another class doing combat drills outside, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched one student attempt to disarm another. The amount of effort being displayed however, was lackluster at best, and Azure huffed in annoyance. She already knew most of the students here were interested only in the Grimm, but Azure's motivation stemmed from a much more personal reason. Before she could get far in her musings, however, the sharp voice of her teacher cut into her thoughts.

"Azure Mercury!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

The blue haired girl shot to her feet, body going rigid with surprise. The teacher glared at her a moment, before sighing and pointing towards the door, where a pair of men stood waiting. Azure frowned suspiciously, shrinking back slightly, but one of the men smiled gently, clearly trying to seem non-threatening.

"Hi, I'm Special Agent Monroe, from the Vale Investigations Bureau. You're Azure Mercury?"

"... Yeah, I am."

"Younger sister of Asher Mercury?"

The question caught the girl completely by surprise, and she nearly fell over in her shock. Her brother? Why would they be asking about him? Why would they be ask _HER_ about him? She hadn't seen him in two years! She composed herself quickly, trying as hard as she could to ignore the penetrating stares of her classmates. She already knew rumors were going to be flying around the school before the end of the day, and she didn't relish the questions she'd be asked before it was all done.

"Um... Yeah."

"We need you to come with us. We have your brother in custody, and since you're the only known relative..."

Scratch her last thoughts. Rumors were probably already flying around the school. Azure didn't bother responding, instead packing her things into her bag and practically vaulting across the room in her desire to be gone. She'd rather be anywhere but here when classes let out, and all the better if that somewhere was where her brother was. She had questions for him after all, and ones she wasn't going to let him get away with not answering.

Not now that she'd finally found him.

* * *

Miles away, behind a one way mirror, Jäger Schwarz glared at the cop in front of him, finding this situation to be even more troublesome than he had anticipated. Not only had one of the two hunters he'd enlisted for help failed, one even being killed by some one of the robbers, now he was being blocked from interrogating the one they had caught. His eyes flickered to the young man in the room, who was drumming his fingers on the table in boredom, before refocusing on the nameless cop in front of him.

"Repeat to me again why I can't question him myself."

"Sir, I'm sorry, but in this case, he falls under Vale Investigations Bureau. We have no jurisdiction ourselves. Until they arrive, no one is allowed access to the perpetrator."

"The longer we take to question that boy, the longer his accomplices have to get away! Let me into that room, or I swear that I will bring every ounce of my considerable pull within the SDC to turn your life into a living hell."

"Threatening cops now, are we?"

Both verbal combatants turned to find the ever famous Professor Ozpin, flanked as always by Miss Goodwitch, stepping into the room, a cup of coffee clutched in one hand, the other folded behind his back. He almost instantly lost interest in Schwarz, instead stepping closer to the glass to get a better look at the man behind it. The SDC employee, growing fast impatient and running out of time, turns once again to the cop, snapping a demand that any interrogations be recorded and passed on to him, before he heads for the door, having other issues that demand his attention. Before he can step through into the hallway beyond, however, a question floats after him, one he chooses to ignore.

"What has the Schnee Dust Company so worried, I wonder, that their Head of Security would be the one to come down here and question a boy?"

* * *

Azure was stepping out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop, mind intent on her goal. A shout from one of the agents behind her was ignored as she sought out the front entrance and beelined for the door. Just as she reached it, the door was flung open, and she barreled into a larger man dressed in a black suit sending her toppling to the ground. The man glared down at her, clearly unhappy, before stepping around her, followed by a parade of similarly dressed man. She mumbled an insult under her breath, then got to her feet just as the agents reached her.

"Ms. Mercury, slow down. I know you want to see your brother, but we have some questions we need to ask first."

"Then ask them while we walk. Once we get there, I'm not waiting."

The friendlier one sighed before pulling out a notebook and leading the way into the lobby and beyond. As they walked, he began firing questions at her, things like when she last saw him, when she last heard from him, where was she at such and such a time. She answered them only half-paying attention, eyes expectant everything they got close to a door and mood souring every time the passed them. Soon, however they stopped outside a pair of doors, gesturing towards one of them.

"Ms. Mercury, you'll get your chance to talk to him, we promise. But for now, we need you to simply observe in that room, please."

"That's not what you-"

"I know. And I'm sorry. But we need to talk to him first. You'll get to see and hear everything. Please?"

Azure mumbled in annoyance, but did as instructed entering the room and having her attention immediately grabbed by the person that sat unawares in the next room. She went up to the glass and placed a hand on it, eyes drinking in every detail about her brother. His clothing was nicer, more dapper as one of her friends might put it, than what she remembered him wearing before. He looked older too, although she supposed that anyone would after two years. What caught her attention the most, however, was how much he differed from her memories. Gone was that easy, brotherly smile, to be replaced by that cocky grin. Her fist clenched in frustration, which was made all the more acute by the fact that she knew it was her fault he'd turned into this.

The agents suddenly entered the room, interrupting her internal anguish and forcing her to focus on the whole picture instead of just her sibling. As soon as the door opened, she watched her brother stop drumming his fingers and cock his head to the side in curiosity, watching the pair himself. They sat down, opened up a rather large file and pulled out a stack of papers, looking through them before focusing on Asher.

"To confirm, you are, in fact, Asher Mercury?"

"Yup, that'd be me."

"17 years old?"

"18 next month."

"Older brother of Azure Mercury?"

Asher flinched, but nodded silently.

"Mr. Mercury, do you realize how many crimes you've committed in the last two years?"

"No. Please, enlighten me."

"According to this document here, you and your associates are wanted for at least 11 counts of bank robbery, 4 counts of art theft, and 3 counts of train robbery."

"Well, that does sound like a lot, doesn't it?"

"So then, you realize the position you're in."

"I go to court, I get convicted, I go to jail, life continues?"

"Mr. Mercury, you could go to jail for a very long time."

"So?"

"If you come clean with us, about everything, help us catch your associates, we can get your sentence reduced."

"Come clean about what, exactly? Cause I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Asher. The Schnee Dust Company wants to get their hands on you. Very badly. Now, something in that bank must've been important to them, and whatever it was, it was gone after your associates left. If you don't tell us what you know, there's nothing we can do to protect you from them."

"You know, this scene is missing something. I mean, you're being nice and everything, but isn't there supposed to be... I don't know, a plate of donuts or something for me to eat? Butter me up or something like that? Last interrogation room they had me in, they at least gave me some hot chocolate."

"Asher, please take this seriously, this is your life we're talking about!"

"Kinda hard to miss, thank you. Now about those donuts?"

"Damnit Monroe! He's not going to give us anything! Let's just hand him to the damn SDC, here's deserves at least that much!"

Azure frowned at that, not at all happy that they would even suggest something like that. The questions continued for another 20 minutes, revolving in much the same manner of them trying to weasel something out of Asher, and her brother just dancing around the subject or completely ignoring it altogether to talk about something trivial. She found herself getting annoyed with her brother, and she wasn't even the one questioning him. Eventually, the agents just gave in, promising to come back for another round of questions later, and then exited, leaving her brother alone once again. She paused a moment before starting for the door, only for a voice to halt her in her tracks.

"You're his sister, I presume?"

She turned curiously, wondering who else would be here. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of him, and only widened further when she saw who was with him. Her jaw worked itself for a moment, opening and closing without sound, before she finally managed to get out something she almost immediately regretted.

"Can I hug you?"

Ozpin chuckled lightly, while Glynda could only frown in barely hidden disapproval. Azure took that mostly as a no, but turned to face them both fully, flushing red and fiddling with the hem of her skirt, trying to come up with some sort of comeback to save face. Ozpin pressed on, however, clearly unconcerned about any possible embarrassment.

"Your brother is quite remarkable, wouldn't you agree?"

"Um... I'm not quite sure I follow, sir. I mean, he's kinda under arrest for... all that stuff they said."

"Not that. Although, that might be remarkable too, in its own way. No, by all reports, when his friend was in danger of being attacked by two fully trained hunters, he stepped in willingly to confront one of them, even knowing he likely wouldn't win, all to buy his ally time. He also actively tried to keep the hostages he was supposedly using as insurance from getting caught up in the fight. That, I think, is commendable. Almost heroic, even."

Azure glanced at Glynda, hoping for some clue to how she should react, but all she got in response was a weary eye roll. The girl frowned in confusion, mulling over the statement, before she glanced at her brother again, as if searching for confirmation that the heroic image of her youth was still in there somewhere.

"I... suppose... that is sorta heroic..."

"Hm."

"Sir, can I... ask you something?"

Ozpin simply waited patiently, the fidgeting blue haired girl staring at him a moment before choosing to take that as consent. Azure mulled over her question a moment longer, before she took a deep breath and finally got it out.

"Sir... do you think a hero would give up everything he's earned, disappear for years, abandon his family... just to save the same people they were leaving behind?"

"Heroes are rarely found walking the straightest path to victory, Ms. Mercury. And for some, that victory doesn't lead to glory or recognition, but ridicule and hatred. Does that make them any less of a hero?"

"... I'm not sure I follow, sir."

"Someday, you'll understand. Just follow your heart and believe in what you want to believe."

Azure's frown deepened, she hated riddles, but before she could ask into it further, the door opened and Agent Monroe poked his head in. He wore a sheepish look on his face, clearly trying to look apologetic, although it didn't quite reach his eyes like his other smiles. The girl's eyes narrowed, even before she heard what he had to say.

"Uh... look, I'm sorry, Ms. Mercury, but we can't let you in to see your brother yet. He's kinda getting moved out of our control. The orders came from higher up. I really wish I could help you."

Azure stood there fuming for a moment, then exploded, screaming obscenities and practically chasing the agent out of the room and down the hall. What did he mean she couldn't see her brother? It was HER damned brother, she could see him when she wanted to! Where was this higher up, she was gonna scream his ear off too! Get back here, you useless bastard, can't even keep your promises! She was gonna show him what she learned at combat school, whether he wanted to or not!

* * *

Back in the viewing room, Glynda glared at Ozpin, which he pointedly ignored. There was silence as the test of patience played out, before Glynda finally gave up and voiced her thoughts.

"You did it already, didn't you?"

"If I had told you before, would you have gone along with it?"

"... No. Probably not." Glynda sighed in resignation, before pulling out her scroll and tapping away at it. "Do we have a reason we're taking custody of a highly sought after bank robber?"

"Officially? He going to be shown a better path, in hopes that he can become a model citizen of society, as well as contribute to our sorely lacking crime investigations classes."

"Crime fighting classes?"

"Unofficially, to make sure the SDC keeps their hands off of him, and perhaps find out what it is their so keen to keep hidden."

"Crime. Fighting. Classes?"

"A wonderful idea if I do say so myself. I was thinking of throwing it together with Combat Tactics classes. It wouldn't hurt to show them a little about fighting crime without using exploding crossbow bolts, after all."

Ozpin grinned to himself as Glynda frowned behind him, the woman mouthing the words "exploding crossbow bolts". It was clear she hadn't seen the videos someone had posted on the DustNet. How he was going to love bringing that up at the next curriculum meeting.

* * *

**Author's Note- And here we go. A double feature. Mostly because I had all this in my head, and I didn't feel like they should go in the same chapter. There was actually more planned, but when I put it in, it didn't feel right, so the family reunion will have to come later. For now, we'll be switching back to the main cast, a few weeks after the initiation, because I don't feel like encroaching on that.**

**As always, comments are much appreciated, and keep dreaming.**


	6. Beacon Walkabout

Ruby Rose had been having the time of her life since entering Beacon Academy a few weeks ago. When she'd first arrived, of course, she felt like she'd been out of her league. Nervous at every possible meeting. It had only been made worse when she'd managed to literally blow herself up, with Weiss Schnee, heiress to the largest producer of dust in Remnant, standing right next to her. The following argument had left her dejected and somewhat melancholy, wishing for home and her old friends. Still, as she went through initiation alongside the heiress, not to mention her sister, her partner, and 4 others who would fast become her friends, she began to finally feel like she belonged at the school. This was only reinforced when she was named the leader of team RWBY, and despite the first few weeks of school, where she came into conflict with her partner, made up, and dealt with a number of other issues among her friends, eventually she'd settled into her role nicely.

Still, with all the schoolwork being thrown at the poor girl, she has little time to keep up with world news, and what she did know she'd learned from listening to her friends discuss things. Like just after initiation, Weiss screaming bloody murder about some "low-life, uncivilized criminal scum!" who had apparently robbed a bank or something. Ruby hadn't paid much attention beyond that, she had been too busy trying to live up to the heiress' demanding standards to care much. Therefore, when the red-cloaked leader was called into Ozpin's office, she only frowned curiously at the young, grey haired man dressed in a very old style of clothing standing alongside Glynda. Ozpin glanced up from some papers on his desk and offered the team leader a soft, disarming smile.

"Ruby Rose. Having a good day, I hope?"

"Uh... yes sir! Did you... need anything from me sir?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. This young man will be attending Beacon from now on. His circumstances are somewhat special, but I'll explain that another time. I hate to take a day from your weekend, but if you could show him around, I'd appreciate it."

"Oh! Alright, I can do that!"

Ruby bounded up to the man, a warm smile spreading across her face, and stuck her hand out for a handshake, ready and willing to make a new friend. The man in question glanced skeptically at the Headmaster before reluctantly taking the girl's hand, shaking it firmly even if he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Hi! I'm Ruby."

"Asher."

"Um... Well. It's nice to meet you, Asher. So... We'd better get started, huh?"

"Sure. Whatever you say."

Ruby led the way out, Asher following along behind much more slowly. They traveled in silence for a few minutes, Ruby deciding that they'd start with the locker rooms, he'd need that for his weapon, wouldn't he? The thought led the young leader to glance at her companion again, this time searching for any sign of his weapon. Seeing none, Ruby halted in her tracks and spun to face the silent man, simultaneously drawing Crescent Rose and expanding it into scythe form. The explosion of movements, as well as the sudden appearance of an extremely dangerous looking weapon, seemed to spook Asher, as he jumped backwards in surprise.

"What the hell!?"

"I'm sorry! I just... I was getting really uncomfortable with the silence, and I could see your weapon on you, so I thought I'd asked, but then I thought it would be rude if I didn't show you mine first, so... This is Crescent Rose!" Ruby swung the weapon around experimentally, narrowly missing a painting on the wall and a rather expensive looking vase. Just holding her baby in her hands was comforting, and she immediately began to gush over the weapon. "She's a high-caliber sniper scythe I made back at Signal! I was utter garbage before my uncle Qrow taught me how to use her properly, but now, I'm like WAAAAAAAH! HAZAAAA! HIYA!"

Ruby swung the weapon around to emphasize her point, and Asher ducked as she narrowly missed cleaving him in half. The petite girl suddenly realized her mistake, and she laughed nervously before compacting her weapon again and slipping it onto her back. A moment of awkward silence followed as Asher stood and brushed himself off, giving the poor girl a look that said he thought she was insane, but Ruby pushed onwards anyone, eager to please and maybe find out what his weapon was.

"So, what about you?"

"Hm?"

"What kind of weapon do you have?"

"Oh. Uh... don't got one. Not anymore."

Ruby blinked. What? He didn't...? What? Her head cocked to the side in confusion, and Asher smiled sheepishly in response. Still, as she stared at him, he only seemed to wither further under her gaze, and his smile faded into a look of discomfort. She snapped out of it soon enough, however, and smiled brightly at him, figuring it must be part of his "special circumstances". She grabbed hold of his hand to drag him further along the corridors, releasing him only once they had a good pace going before she started up the conversation again.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll let you build a new one. Oh! Maybe I can help you with that! That would be so cool~ I would never betray Crescent Rose, of course, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind me helping out a friend."

"Friend?"

"Yeah! You're my friend now! Right?"

Asher was silent as he considered this, rubbing his forearms in thought. At least until he glanced at the younger girl. Ruby, aware by now of the devastating power of her puppy dog eyes, had fixed him with the strongest version she could muster, silver eyes opening as wide as she could get them and mouth pouting adorably. The gray-haired boy took a step away from her, a look on his face that said it all, before he suddenly threw up his hands in defeat.

"Fine! I'm your friend, alright?"

"YES! I can't wait to tell the others about this! And we're here! The locker rooms! Did they say if you had one assigned yet?"

"I don't think so. I only got here today, after all."

"I'm sure you'll get one. Anyway, I think next we should head for the cafeteria! Always a good thing to know where the food is, right? And maybe my team will be there! I want you to meet them."

Ruby bounded off again, practically pulling Asher out the door and down the hallways. Soon enough, they were making their way to along a garden path, the team leader babbling about anything and everything she could think of, from classes(most of those were labeled boring) to initiation(had he done something like that) to the food(pretty good for a school cafeteria) to the dorms(she'd made bunk beds in hers). All the while Asher simply listened silently, taking in everything the girl was saying. Unbeknownst to her, the energetic girl was bringing back memories of... happier... times, and Asher's mood was quickly turning melancholic. He was saved, as it so happened, by the Ruby spotting one of her teammates, a black-haired young woman curled up under a tree, a book pulled close to her face. Ruby wasted no time in dragging her newest friend over to say hi, and as they neared their target, the girl shouted a greeting, causing the book readers amber eyes to flicker up then back down, then back up again upon seeing her leader with someone new.

"Hello, Ruby. Didn't you have to go see Ozpin this morning?"

"Yup! I need to show Asher around."

"Asher? Your new friend there?"

"Yup again! Asher, this is Blake. She's one of my teammates."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Mm."

Blake's eyes had fixed on Asher, noticing subtle things that others probably would have missed. While she did tend to keep her nose in her books a lot, she wasn't so cut off as to not keep up with recent events. Most importantly, she noticed that this newcomer's name was shared with a certain criminal that had been caught a few months ago. More importantly, it was that same criminal that had stolen from the Schnee's, and which had angered Weiss at the same time. Blake, not one to be so quick to judge given her own checkered past, eyed the man in front of her. As if sensing her scrutinizing, Asher turned his gaze back on her, offering a small smile in return. Blake stared a moment longer before pulling her book back up into her face. She wasn't going to get involved, not this time. Asher frowned in response, before glancing at Ruby in question.

"Don't worry. She's always like that. Blake loves her books. Anyway, we'd better get going. See you later Blake!"

Blake merely offered a parting wave before returning her full attention to her book. Ruby dragged off her charge again, once again on the path to the cafeteria. The trip was much shorter, having been interrupted by their meeting with Blake just before reaching their destination, and upon entering they heard a cheer rise out of a nearby table. Ruby's smile grew as she noticed a flash of gold among the people gathered. She skipped over happily, diving through the crowd to reach her sister, who was nestled at the heart.

"Yang!"

"Ruby!"

Ruby's blonde sibling grabbed her in a one armed hug before turning back to what she was doing. It quickly became apparent that people were challenging her to arm wrestling competitions, and most were failing miserably. She took down the newest challenger, an upperclassman Ruby didn't recognize, before breaking up the party and turning her full attention on Ruby.

"So, what's up sis?"

"I'm just showing a new student around the school. Yang, meet Asher!"

"Uh... h-"

"I know you! You were at that club before! Remember that story I told you about, Ruby, the one about the club and me kicking ass? That was the one guy I was talking about!"

"Really? You've met Yang already?"

"Uh... sorta? I mean, I don't think I've met anyone else who's quite so... lively. Besides you. So you're probably right. But I wouldn't call something like that really... meeting. So, for the first time, hi, I'm Asher."

"Nice to meet you, Ashy! I'm Yang! Now, before we go any further, I need to talk to you alone real quick. Don't worry, Rubes, we'll be right back!"

Yang dragged the poor man off, hand nearly bone crushing tight around his own. He hissed in pain before she managed to get him out of sight, and then he found his back against the wall and the blonde brawler uncomfortably close, her hands covered by gauntlet looking things. Her smile before, pleasant and friendly, was suddenly replaced with a grimly sadistic grin and her knuckles cracking only added to the frightening image. Asher was suddenly wondering what horrors were about to be inflicted on him, only to have Yang slam a fist into the wall, the cement cracking visibly. She hadn't made the connection between this Asher and the robber Asher on the news months ago, but she DID know that anyone talking to Junior was likely up to nothing good. Whatever his reasons, he was here now, and somehow had befriended her sister. Yang had to look out for her sister.

"I'm only going to say this once. You do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to hurt my little sister, and I will make sure to hunt you down and pummel you till you wish you were dead. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good." The pleasant smile was back, and Ember Celica returned to its bracelet form as she straightened out again. "Now then, Ashy, let's go do whatever it is you two were doing."

"Right... can we drop the Ashy thing?"

"Nope!"

"Didn't think so."

Once the pair had reunited with Ruby, they gave the newly dubbed "Ashy" the grand tour, keeping an eye out for Weiss while they were at it. As luck would have it, Weiss was nowhere to be found, but in their search they visited every place of importance. They ran into team JNPR at the training halls, with a round of introductions following and mixed reactions to Asher. They soon left the team to their own devices, and the three wanderers ran into Blake(or Blakey, if you were Yang) again in the Library. They visited again for a few brief minutes, then Ruby and Asher had to leave, mainly to return Asher to the hands of the Headmaster. Once the pair were gone, Blake put down her book and faced Yang, face serious.

"Yang, do you know who he is?"

"Not really. I mean, I ran into him once before, but I doubt anything he was doing was worse than what I did. Besides, he treats Ruby alright, and that's good enough for me. I think he might be a good thing for Ruby."

"A good thing?"

"Yeah, you know. Someone around her who's mellow, without being so demanding like the Ice Princess."

"You mean me?"

"Yeah, but for her. You're my mellow person."

Blake sighed, her partner's antics a common occurrence enough that she simply retrieved her book and continued reading. She'd hoped Yang might have noticed something out of the ordinary, but it seems the faunas girl would have to keep her suspicions to herself for now. Only time would really tell if she was right or not.

* * *

As Ruby and Asher reached the final hallway to the Headmaster's office, Ruby halted in her tracks, fidgeting a little. It had bothered her all day, ever since she'd started showing him around, and she felt a little bad. Asher took a few more steps before realizing the petite girl wasn't walking with him anymore, and turned to face her, a curious expression on his face.

"You alright, Ruby?"

"Um... I'm sorry."

"... Excuse me?"

"I mean, I know today wasn't all that fun. And I kinda forced my friendship on you without really asking if you really wanted to be my friend. It's just... you looked so unhappy when I first saw you. I just wanted you to cheer up a little. But I guess I just made it worse, forcing you to meet my teammates and talk to people you didn't really seem interested in."

Asher took in her words, mulling them over a moment before walking over to stand in front of her. He hesitated a moment, not sure if he really wanted to do what he was about to do, then decided he might as well. His hand came up to pat the smaller girl on the head, and she blinked in surprise before glancing up at him. He gave her a genuinely warm smile before taking his hand back and giving her a reply.

"Ruby, I'm not going to say I'm the most like-able person in the world. I tend to be a bit sarcastic and sullen around those I'm unfamiliar with, except for certain situations. But I can promise you that I don't regret becoming your friend. Well, not yet anyway. Talk to me again in a few weeks, maybe I'll have a complaint or two." Ruby giggled at that, and Asher's smile widened at seeing her happy. "Still, I hope you'll continue to show me the ropes. I'm a little... ok, a lot rusty with this whole hunter thing. And to answer your question from the beginning of the day, I'd love your help building me a new weapon. So cheer up, alright?"

"Alright... I wasn't boring?"

"Nope. A little hyper, but never boring."

"You liked meeting my friends?"

"Sure. Though I can't say that Blake person likes me much, and your sister is a little intimidating... She's really your sister?"

"Yup! And don't worry about Blake, she's like that with everybody."

"Whatever you say. I think I'll be fine from here. Just down the hall, first door on the left?"

"You got it. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I'm gonna say most likely."

"Alright then! See you tomorrow, Asher!"

"See you tomorrow, Ruby."

The girl took off, happy as can be at making a new friend. For the man left behind, however, the moment was bittersweet. He felt like he'd done the right thing in treating her kindly, but... tomorrow was probably going to alienate her, and everyone he'd met today, very quickly. Well, what comes, comes. There was nothing he could do about that. It was a miracle Ozpin had even managed to get away with taking custody of him in the first place. Thoughts in order, Asher turned and strode down the hall towards his inevitable, lonely fate.

* * *

As it turns out, Blake's suspicions were confirmed the very next day as the school was gathered to announce the arrival of the criminal and his attendance of the school as part of his rehabilitation. Therefore she was the only one not surprised as Asher, wearing a Beacon uniform, was put up on stage in front of the entire student body and introduced as not only the criminal who'd aided in the theft the SDC payroll, but also the newest student of Beacon Academy. Almost as an after thought, Ozpin added that they'd be adding additional topics to the strategy and tactics based classes, to include studies of criminal methods and proper measures to take when dealing with certain situations. By then though, no one was really paying attention. After all, who could pay attention, even if they wanted to, as an entire student body broke out into an open uproar, most shouting out against allowing a criminal to be in the same school. Weiss Schnee was undoubtedly the most vocal, and although her exact words were lost in the general commotion, almost everyone would later swear they heard her voice shouting for the "insufferable scum" to be taken to jail. Blake simply accepted the change with a sigh, she didn't exactly have much room to argue against it, given her own past. Yang was surprised, but otherwise unaffected, at least until she turned and laid eyes on Ruby. Her sister had been shocked into silence, and on her face was a look of utter devastation and betrayal. The moment Yang took that look in, the air around her warmed considerably and her eyes flashed red.

Someone was going to be going to be learning the definition of pain.


	7. The First Day

Asher awoke the day after his "introduction" to the sound of an alarm clock buzzing in his ear. He slapped the thing to shut it up, then simply lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He was not looking forward to the day ahead at all, but what's done was done. He sat up and stretched out before scanning his meager room again, cataloguing the things he'd been provided. A nicer than average bed, a nightstand beside that(equipped with the annoying alarm clock), a simple desk with an equally simple chair(lamp sat on top of that), and a wardrobe, containing at the moment two sets of Beacon uniforms and his preferred clothing. Another door led into a bathroom, of equally meager size. Asher attention was eventually drawn to the small device firmly attached to his right ankle, a light blinking on its surface every minute or so. His leash. If he strayed off of Beacon grounds without permission, or tried to take the thing off at all, it would send a signal to the faculty's scrolls as well as local law enforcement, while shrieking loudly to alert everyone nearby to his location.

The newest student of Beacon sighed before getting started with his day, showering and dressing before waiting patiently by the door, last night's instructions from Professor Goodwitch ringing in his ears. He's be locked into the room at precisely 9 o'clock every evening(unless otherwise allowed), and if he was late he'd be reprimanded severely. His room would be unlocked at precisely 8 o'clock every morning, giving him an hour to eat and be at his first class. His schedule had been provided for him on his scroll(a school issued one instead of his own), the first class being Weapons Maintenance. Asher didn't see the point really, he didn't have a weapon to maintain, but what Ozpin wanted, Ozpin got, and if Asher was going to be around, he was going to go through the same classes as everyone else. Went with the "rehabilitation" that the criminal was supposed to be going through here at the school. Just as Asher finished that thought, a click was heard from the door, and he tested the handle with some hesitation before finding that it did indeed swing open.

"Well, at least they're punctual about things..." Asher commented to no one, before he stepped out and took a moment to recall the path he'd need to take to get to the cafeteria.

The walk to the cafeteria was, as it was expected, nerve wracking for the man. Everywhere he went he attracted looks of fear, anger, contempt, even the occasional pity. And as soon as he passed the silent onlookers, the whispers seemed to drift after him, some containing insults, other wishes that he wasn't around. When he finally arrived outside the doors of his destination ten minutes later, he could hear the sounds of lively conversation and the clinking of utensils against plates. He paused outside to steady himself, then entered the building, already expecting the kind of welcome he'd receive. The minute he was spotted, the place seemed to go silent, people steadfastly ignoring him unless taking the occasional glance in his direction. He ignored them right back, choosing instead to stride over to the food line, but as he neared, most of the students shrank away. Asher sighed as he got into line behind someone with large bunny ears sprouting from the top of her head, but the moment he settled into his place, he noticed her body seemingly vibrating in place. He frowned a moment, then couldn't stop himself as he reached towards her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Uh... you alri- Whoa!"

The rabbit faunas literally jumped into the air, letting out a high-pitched squeal of fear, before she landed on again and took of running, desperate to get away from him. Asher felt his face twist into one of despair, then quickly shook it away. Now wasn't the time to be feeling sorry for himself. The rest of his time in the line went by uneventfully, despite the dirty looks he got from a few others, and he collected his food without incident. Then he found a quiet corner of the cafeteria to sit in and ate quietly, trying to distract himself further from the general aura of hate that seemed to be surrounding him. He glanced up only once during his meal, and could have sworn he saw a flash of red among the other students, but if it was there, it disappeared long before he could place it. After turning in his tray, Asher departed to his next class, arriving early to find that he apparently had an assigned seat near the front of the class. Taking said seat, he settled in for the next twenty minutes, closing his eyes and wishing he would get to take a decent nap before class. Unfortunately, ten minutes later, his lounging was interrupted by a hand grasping him by the back of the head and forcing his face to meet the wooden desk in front of him.

"Ow!"

"I thought I told you not to hurt my sister!"

Yang, eyes red with rage, was already deploying her gauntlets, ready to reduce Asher into his namesake. Asher himself was struggling to get away, at least until he noticed Ruby standing behind her sister with her other teammates, Blake and a white-haired girl he didn't recognize, presumably this Weiss he'd heard about, who had just as murderous a look on her face as the blonde. While the red-cloaked girl was trying to restrain her sibling, she was also deliberately avoiding his gaze, and he found the fight drain out of him at the sight. Damnit, why'd she have to go and make him feel like he'd kicked a puppy? Fortunately for Asher's continued lifespan, the teacher of the class entered the room carrying a large container, and his eyebrows shot up as he took in the sight of Yang getting ready to demolish one of her fellow students.

"Miss Xiao Long, much as I enjoy seeing Ember Celica being put to use, I doubt murdering a fellow student is what they were built for."

"Professor Einion! I was... uh..."

"Take your seats please. As for you, Mr. Mercury, I believe this is yours."

The Professor dropped the container in front of Asher as the rest of the students filed in and took their seats, and the criminal frowned at the thing in confusion. For a moment he merely stared at it as the Professor started up the class, informing them that they would be studying the advantages of lighter alloys over heavier, as well as testing some modifications that could be used to augment the recoil of various firearms. Most of what he'd said went straight over Asher's head, but before the teacher continued with his lesson, he seemed to notice his confusion and turned to him, gesturing at the box.

"I'd suggest starting on getting that finished now, so that if you need any help you can get it."

"Uh... ok?"

Asher pried open the box's lid and took a look inside to find something he hadn't expected to see again. He groaned in annoyance before dumping the box out in front of him, parts and papers scattering across the desk. And there it was. A reminder of a time he'd long given up, when he still thought being one of the heroes would help him save his sister. He extracted the papers from the parts, then cleared a space and laid them all out. He sighed as he got confirmation from the blueprints in front of him. This was his original designs, back at Signal. Crystal Virtue. Ha! His sister had come up with the name, she'd thought it sounded cool, that it would represent his crystal clear virtues for the world to see. He'd never felt comfortable with it, but he'd do anything for his sister, and naming his weapon what she wanted seemed a small price to pay to see her smile. He remembered showing her these same pages, back in her hospital room. He grimaced in distaste at the memories, then crumpled up the papers and tossed them towards the trashcan, missing the basket entirely. Now what to do with these parts...

"Mr. Mercury, what are you doing?"

"Getting rid of something that I no longer need."

Asher picked up the most prominent piece, the large blade section he remembered painstakingly crafting, and promptly tossed it to the side, resolving to dispose of it later. This was done piece by piece, one after another, until the only thing he had left in front of him was the piece meant to become the hilt, something his sister had put together with Roan's help, the handle wrapped in a silvery gray material and perfectly fitted to his hand. He glared at it a moment before deciding he might as well keep the one piece, unable and unwilling to simply throw away the memory of the past. Professor Einion stared at him, before going over to the parts and examining them. He frowned upon finding nothing wrong with them, turning back to Asher to inquire further.

"I don't see a problem with the parts themselves. And I reviewed your design, it's... solid... if unimaginative."

"The problem isn't with the parts."

It's with me was the unspoken phrase that Asher kept to himself, even as he found some sheets of paper and slapped them down, glancing at the remaining hilt piece one more time. He started sketching something as the Professor went back to teaching his class, but everything he tried to envision slipped through his fingers, and finally, as they reached the end of the class, Asher was forced to admit that he wasn't an engineer, wasn't ever going to be, and wished that he had Ianthe here to do this for him. He sighed as the bell rang and he snatched up the hilt piece, intending to toss it into the discard pile along with the others and rid himself of the thing for good. Before he could complete the toss, however, the silvery grip caught his eye again and he shoved it into his pocket with a scowl on his face as he left for his next class. Damn memories...

And Asher, too far gone into his own brooding, failed to notice a certain red-cloaked girl slip over to the trashcan and collect the wrinkled pages found around it, smoothing them out and scanning them with a barely contained interest.

* * *

The next two classes were similarly frustrating for the teen, if slightly safer with the absence of team RWBY. While the study of Grimm was fascinating to most of the students present, despite the long, droning and often irrelevant stories told by Professor Port, all that Asher could get from Grimm Studies was a teacher glorifying themselves to the next generation. His feelings were only made worse by his sever lack of interest in the Grimm in general, and despite trying to page through the textbook, after looking at some of the monsters contained within his thoughts quickly formed into the simple statement of "I never want to meet one of these thing in my life". As for Dust Theory/Application, Asher found the entire class to be completely over his head, textbook or not, and found himself simply staring dully at the wall, trying to seem like he knew what was going on. Thankfully, the teacher seemed inclined to ignore him for the class, and Asher was grateful for the consideration, even if he was sure it was mostly out of pity.

Which is why, morning classes done with, Asher found himself out on a balcony, skipping lunch to avoid the dreadful feelings the cafeteria seemed to give him. He rubbed at his temples, headache already coming on and only halfway through the day, but before he could get to contemplating whether jail might be more preferable, his thoughts were interrupted by what had become a familiar voice over the past few months.

"I hope you're fitting in, young man. It would be a shame if you failed out so early after joining us."

Asher opened one eye to find Professor Ozpin, sipping from the coffee cup that never seemed to leave his hand, eyes studying the him. Joy. Now he had the headmaster sticking his head into his affairs. Well, he supposed he didn't have much choice but deal with the man. Still, his coming headache only worsened at the prospects of having to listen to more riddles and vague words.

"Yeah. I'm fitting in fine. Like a boarbatusk in a dust shop. I'm fairly certain if I'm around long enough, people might actually get over their fear and realize I'm not that great at fighting. Then I get to graduate to a punching bag."

"Must you be so sarcastic? Surely the young Ruby Rose is a welcome friend."

"If she could stand to look at me. You kinda ruined any chance of a friend there, with your whole 'A new student is joining us now, by the way, he's a multiple offender of nearly every felony they have in the book'! See, that doesn't make many friends. Sir."

Ozpin simply smiled knowingly and took another sip of his coffee. Asher eyebrow twitched at seeing the man's face, he clearly knew something. This man had to be the most infuriating person he'd ever met. Even more so than having to talk to underworld informants, and they were notoriously tight-lipped. At least for the latter, you could get them to talk with large stacks of lien. With the headmaster, you were stuck hoping he would talk. It amazed him Glynda could even put up with old man at all.

"Mr. Mercury, I suggest you trust in Ms. Rose. She is far more resilient than her age might suggest. I don't believe finding out you're a criminal will keep her away for long. Especially considering your, ah... weapon designs."

"Did everyone take a look at those and get a good laugh?"

Ozpin merely gave that infuriating smile again as he turned away, leaving Asher to glare at the man's back before he returned to rubbing his temples and opening up his scroll. What other classes did he have for the day? Oh look, History. There was something he might be able to keep up with. Next we have... he was a dead man already.

* * *

At the cafeteria, Ruby Rose had laid out the now smooth pages of Asher's blueprints. She frowned as she went over them again for the fourth time, trying to figure out where he might have reserved a spot for a cool gun attachment, but try as she might, she couldn't find one. Before she could go over them a fifth, just in case, her attention was attracted by the delightfully sweet smell of cookies, and the girl glanced over to find a plate placed right next to her, piled high with her snack of choice. Distracted as she was shoveling the treats into her mouth, she wasn't able to guard the plans from Yang, who scooped them all up with a grin that quickly disappeared as she realized what she had.

"Ruby, these are terrible!" And idea seemed to strike the blonde suddenly as she noticed the crumpled feel to the paper, and her eyes opened in shock as the realization hit her fully. "Are these...?"

"AH! DON-"

"What did she have?"

Weiss arrived, tray neatly ordered in the proper way, and she placed the food down as she glanced over Yang's shoulder at the discovery. Her face curled into a frown of confusion quickly, and she grabbed one of the pages from Yang's grasp and studies it further before her eyes narrowed and she shoved the page into Ruby's face.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Uh... What do you think it is?"

"Ruby! Why on earth did you go digging through the trash for that... that... that-"

"Bastard?" Yang's helpful suggestion cut in.

"-That lowlife's weapon design?"

Ruby shrank under the combined judgement of her partner and her sister. She flicked a glance to the side at the silent Blake, who steadfastly pretended to ignore the situation, despite her own interest in the question. Finding no help, Ruby shrank a bit more before gathering her courage and bringing her gaze up to meet the two stares waiting for her, even as she brought her index fingers together in anxiety.

"I just... he seemed so lost, is all. And... I kinda promised I'd help him build his weapon..."

"You promised to- Ruby, you shouldn't be wasting a minute of your time on that man! Besides, what about your own studies?"

"I gotta agree with Weiss, Sis. You shouldn't be hanging around with him."

"But, he doesn't have anybody!"

"Ruby, he's convicted of armed robbery, assault and battery, MURDER! And that's just a few of them!"

"But what if they just made that up?"

"They have WITNESSES, Ruby! People saw him do it!"

"But... But, what if it was just an acciden-"

"Ruby." Yang sighed as she sat down next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her sibling. Part of her was happy that her sister was so willing to try to search for the best in everyone. Still, another part of her, the protective part, was worried that Ruby was being too naïve. Asher, for all his seeming incompetence, was probably just biding his time until he could strike. Yang wasn't about to let her sister be the next victim. "Not everyone is as good as you think they are. Sometimes, people are really as bad as they seem. And I'm sorry, sis, but Asher is one of those evil people."

"NO!"

Ruby leapt to her feet, snatching the stolen papers from her teammates and clutching them to her chest protectively. She wouldn't... She couldn't believe that Asher was as bad as they claimed. There had to be some kind of mistake. Her defiant gaze locked onto her sister, who'd spent almost the same amount of time with Asher as she had. They were wrong! They had to be!

"Yang, you were there with me! You met him! Talked to him! Do you REALLY think he would do all the things they say he did? Do you think he could _kill_ people?"

"Ruby, I-"

The girl was gone in a flurry of rose petals, her semblance taking her from the cafeteria and into the hallways beyond. She'd prove it! She'd show them that he wasn't as bad as they claimed! She just had to figure out how! Ruby slowed as the thought struck her. How was she supposed to prove someone wasn't a robber and a murderer? Well, first she should ask him, right? But then, she needed to figure out where he was. The team leader frowned in thought, but before she could get any farther, the bell for classes rang. She frowned in annoyance before folding the papers clutched in her grasp and slipping them into a pocket. She'd find him after classes and ask about it then. Her studies could wait a day, after all.

* * *

Asher spent History actually enjoying himself, if only because he actually knew what was being discussed(more or less) and it distracted him from what was next. Inevitably, however, time marched on, and the end of class came, carrying with it the bell that tolled his coming doom. Asher loitered in his seat, wishing something would come along that saved him, but eventually he was forced to leave the safety of the classroom and take a quick trip back to his room. There, in record time, he changed into his "combat uniform" as he'd been told it was called, which amounted to just dressing as he used to before getting caught. He tied his tie as he rushed to the auditorium, making it just as the bell rang, out of breath and chest heaving. He straightened out to be greeted by the combined stares of the class, most notably Professor Goodwitch, who cleared her throat to get the classes attention and deliver her verdict.

"Well, thank you for volunteering for our first match, Mr. Mercury. Would anyone else like to volunteer to spar?"

Two hands shot up instantly, and it was then that Asher noticed the reappearance of team RWBY. Oddly, he noticed that Ruby herself seem to be sitting apart from the rest of her teammates, and just as oddly, she was staring right at him, a defiant look on her face. His immediate attention, however, was quickly drawn to the two raised hands, and he groaned as he attached them to two faces, both painful options. Yang and Weiss, both people he figured wanted him dead. He gauged the two of them, and quickly decided he wanted Weiss for an opponent. She was smaller. Maybe she wouldn't hurt as much.

"Very well then. Ms. Xiao Long, please come forward. You as well, Mr. Mercury."

Asher's shoulders fell, and with them his hopes of survival, as he meandered his way over to the small stage, hoping to prolong his journey. As he pulled himself up onto the stage and positioned himself opposite Yang, however, the professor paused, frowning as a thought seemed to come to her.

"Mr. Mercury, your aura is active, isn't it?"

"Um... I think so?"

"You... think so."

"Uh, yeah. It... woke up? I never understood how you described it, but my aura came out back at Signal. It's... been awhile since then, though. So... I guess it's active?"

"Hm. Ms. Xiao Long, are you fine without weapons? I'd hate to have a death in the student body from a training class."

"No problems here, Teach!"

Glydna frowned at the moniker, but quickly stepped away to allow them room to fight. Yang brought her fists up, hair already flickering with her semblance, while Asher brought his own fists up to mimic her. Still, as Glynda began to countdown till the start, Asher couldn't help but flashback to his first meeting with the woman in front of him. This was going to be really painfu-

"Hurgh!"

Asher's thoughts were interrupted as Yang suddenly appeared in front of him and drove her fist into his gut with an explosion of heat and force. For a moment, Asher's body was lifted and held in the air, and Yang flashed him a grin that promised more pain to follow. Unfortunately for both fighters, Asher's aura, neglected for two years and long since gone dormant, didn't protect the young man, and as Yang skipped backwards to get some distance and set up for her next attack, gravity dragged Asher to the floor, the man collapsing as he clutched at his stomach. He could feel his chest struggling to suck in air, but he could only seem to grab short gasps of it as he heard Glynda stop the fight and felt hands grasp his sides, checking for damage. He closed his eyes, focusing on trying to calm his spasming body, and after a minute he finally regained his breath, rolling onto his back to stretch out his now sore stomach.

"Well... I think we can say that your aura is not currently active... I don't think you're in any condition to continue, Mr. Mercury. Do you know where the medical wing is?"

"I... think so..."

"I'll take him!"

The bubbly voice caught him by surprise, and Asher turned his head to find Ruby on her feet, hand waving in the air. Given the reactions of those around her, it clearly surprised everyone else as well, but the girl seem to pay them no mind as she hopped up onto the stage and helped him to his feet. She threw one of his arms over her shoulders, lending her support as she escorted him towards the door. The silence that took the room behind them seemed to cling to them both as they made their way through the halls, eventually reaching the medical wing. Ruby found him an empty bed and helped him into it, before finding a chair and dragging it over. The silence continued on as Ruby fixed him with a blank stare, and Asher squirmed for a moment before finally deciding to break the silence.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to class?"

"Nope!"

"... Right... sooooooo..."

"Asher?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you really rob banks?"

Asher froze at the question, a million possible ways to answer assaulting his mind. He stared into the suddenly very innocent gaze in front of him, and briefly considered lying to the girl, confident she'd believe him if only because she wanted to so badly. But another part of him tore that little dream to pieces. He was what he was. He couldn't be anything else, no matter how much he wanted it to be. Lying would likely only make things worse.

"Yeah, I did. Trains to, sometimes."

The answer seemed drain the girl of whatever cheer she'd had, and her sudden despair filled face yanked on his brotherly instincts. What came from her next though caused him to sit up in shock, eyes wide at the sudden accusation.

"So I guess that means you really did kill people."

"What? No! I never killed anybody! Hurt em, maybe, but never killed."

"You never...? You're not lying?"

"I told you the truth about the robbing, didn't I? Why would I suddenly lie about killing people?"

Ruby's mood brightened noticeably, and she practically jumped out of her chair in joy. Asher took that as a good sigh, and chuckled lightly before grunting softly at the soreness in his stomach. Damn, Yang had a good arm. Now he was suddenly glad she hadn't been allowed to use her gauntlets. She'd have left a hole in him. Ruby didn't seem to notice as she plopped down next to him again, eyes filled with wonder. In her mind, robbing banks and trains was still bad, but it belonged in an altogether more exciting category than murder. Questions threatened to bubble out of her, but before she got any farther, she remembered what had spurred on this little session and she pulled out the pages, placing them on the bed nightstand next to Asher. He frowned at seeing them again, a look Ruby didn't fail to notice, and she frowned right back, part of her angry on behalf of the weapon that was Crystal Virtue.

"Looks like I'm not the only thief in the school..."

"Hey! They were in the trash! I was only saving her!"

"Saving her?"

"Why'd you throw Crystal Virtue away, anyways?"

"Cryst- Is it alive now?"

"She could have been!"

"She?"

"Stop changing the subject!"

"Alright, alright! Crystal Virtue was my design back when I was still at Signal."

"You went to Signal?"

"Yeah, two years ago. I left for... personal reasons."

"You became a crook."

"Yeah. For personal reasons. Look, that weapon design was for someone who no longer exists. As I am now, I don't deserve to build... her. So, I kinda figured I'd build something new... you know, like you said you'd help me with before... if... you still want to."

Ruby's eyes narrowed as she considered the man, as if judging him, and Asher cringed slightly under her gaze. Then a bright smile exploded onto her face, and she scooped up the pages again, dumping them into the small trashcan next to the bed. That done, Ruby pulled a notebook as if from nowhere and opened it up to a blank page, clearly getting herself more and more excited as she began to make sketches of this and that, babbling on about thoughts she'd already had regarding his possible "baby". Asher watched her a moment before smiling slightly, content to listen to her talk. While he wasn't sure what had happened to cause her to accept him so quickly, his faults included, he didn't feel quite so bad about attending the school anymore. At least he had a friend he could count on. A moment later, and Asher suddenly had a thought hit him, his exclamation interrupting Ruby's incessant babbling.

"Aw... DAMNIT!"

"Huh? What happened?"

"Nothing, Ruby. Just remembering something an old man with too much time on his hands said to me."

And Asher was forced to agree with Ozpin, Ruby Rose had barreled through whatever prejudice there was and had become his first friend here. The ass probably knew it would happen this way too.

* * *

**Author's Note- I always wondered if aura was something that once activated would stay on forever, or if you didn't use it, it would slowly stop functioning. I chose the latter route, just because it made sense to me. It's for that same reason I had Asher be completely clueless to the things most students would probably well acquainted with. Grimm, for instance, I felt were something that Signal would begin to instruct on in later years, to prepare them for the higher level combat schools, while the earlier years focused on basic combat skills, weapons construction and discovering your own style.**

** Regardless, I hope I did some justice to the school, and plan on having more interactions between team RWBY and Asher. Here's to hoping I can make it at least somewhat believable. **

**As always, reviews and comments are much appreciated. Until next time, keep dreaming.**


	8. A Lunch Conversation

Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, was just sitting down at his desk to settle in for the day's work when Glynda Goodwitch, his personal confidant, barged into the room, that perpetual look of annoyance the same as every other day. He smiled at her gently as she approached, but otherwise forewent the usual pleasantries. Instead, he got down to business as he opened up his scroll, scanning the various pieces of paperwork that required his attention.

"Glynda. I suppose you have a report for me?"

"I do, Ozpin. Regarding your newest pet project."

The professor tapped the screen of her scroll a few times, causing Ozpin's to display the written report while Glynda began to go through it verbally, not bothering to hide her distaste.

"Asher Mercury is, to put it simply, far below standards. About the only class he does reasonably well is History, and that is simply because large parts of it simply require you pay attention. As for his other classes, he either lacks the interest or the ability to perform well. Dust Theory remains the only class so far I have seen the boy actively attempt to participate in, if only so that he can learn how to handle dust properly, although I doubt it's for good reasons. To oppose this, he is openly ignoring Professor Port in Grimm Studies, and as such has the lowest grade in the class. As for combat... I can only say that the potential is there. Despite his aura having lain dormant since his time at Signal, I allowed him to participate in weaponless sparring matches. Even after I reawakened his aura, he basic combat skills have suffered from neglect, and even when he does somehow gain an advantage, his lack of training and experience against skilled opponents results in his loss regardless. All in all, I feel like he isn't anywhere near ready to be a student here at Beacon."

Glynda finished her report simply, eyes boring into the man with her desire for him to agree and send the boy back to where he'd come from. Ozpin, however, skillfully ignored the woman, instead sipping from his coffee as he tapped the report away for later review and instead opened another file, glancing at it briefly before addressing Glynda again.

"And the additions to the curriculum?"

"... They are in place, and we can begin during todays classes. I still don't think allowing the students to study the criminal mindset is the best idea though. Particularly with a criminal present."

"Sometimes, Professor Goodwitch, the best methods are the most unorthodox."

"Sometimes, Professor Ozpin, I think you do things to just to annoy me."

* * *

For the past two weeks, Weiss Schnee, heiress to the most productive dust company in the world and one of the best students among the first years(if she did say so herself), had been driven to the limits of her patience. It started the Tuesday of the week before, a normal start despite the announcement the day before that the criminal who had robbed the Schnee family of a massive payroll of lien would be attending the school as rehabilitation. She'd decided, after venting to her teammates, that she'd just have to deal with it, given as there was likely little she could do. Still, no one said she had to get along with the low-life, and she planned to deal with the man as little as possible. Unfortunately, not even half a day later, her team leader was escorting the criminal to the medical wing, and even worse, she'd come back to the dorms later that same day, missing the rest of classes and their planned study session, just to disappear up into her bed and start scratching away at papers. When asked, quite politely, where she'd been, the red-cloaked girl simply stuttered something about a new weapon design she'd thought up, then promptly shut her mouth and refused to speak anymore on the subject. Unfortunately, Weiss didn't need much to put two and two together, but Weiss decided to ignore the issue. Maybe Ruby would snap out of it before too long.

The next day it had been easy to ignore that during the one class they shared with the criminal, Ruby had sat next to the man. The day after that, Weiss' eyebrow began to twitch when Ruby happily teamed up with the same man for a project they'd received in Dust Theories, something that Weiss couldn't have been more appropriate for. Her patience was tested even further by the rumors that began to float around on Friday, Ruby Rose and her new "friend" at the center of them. Over the weekend, the girl was gone from the dorms before anyone else, unusual to say the least. When Weiss went looking, the team leader could be found pouring over engineering manuals or sketching things out in a notebook, which quickly grew to three before the weekend was over. When Weiss finally managed to catch the girl as the weekend ended, Ruby had deflected the issue by saying she was "getting a lot of inspiration". Yang teasingly stated that she must be abandoning Crescent Rose, but the resulting chaos that ensued in the room, caused by the two sisters' playful combat, forced Weiss to drop the issue yet again. It only aggravated her further when the same kinds of things happened the rest of the next week, until they reached today, Friday, and Weiss could no longer stand watching her partner, _HER partner_, cavorting around with the kind of criminal scum that shouldn't receive anything more than a pitying glance, at best. Which is why, now at lunchtime, the proud woman retrieved her lunch, then stalked over to the table the criminal had long since claimed as his own, slamming her tray down with enough force to rattle the frame. Asher raised an eyebrow in question, fork halfway to his mouth, before he set the utensil down and gave her his attention.

"Can I help you?"

"I have to talk to you! About Ruby!"

"Oh... Uh, ok?"

Weiss sat down, carefully rearranging the disheveled plates of food placed in front of her before folding her hands over her lap and taking a breath. She needed to be the better of the two, she was born and raised among the elite, there was no reason she should have to stoop to his level. She would show him poise and grace, warn him away from Ruby, and put everything right. Her leader did not need to be misled by men of his caliber, and she wouldn't stand for it. Not anymore. And once this was done, Ruby could return to her studies, become the best leader and huntress she could be. Everything would be properly back to the way it used to.

"I don't think it is acceptable for Ruby to be spending any time with you. It is taking away from her studies, and is she's already beginning to fall behind thanks to your need for a new weapon."

"I agree."

"I don't care what you have to- What?"

Weiss' surprise was practically tangible, her eyes widening for a second before sharpening into razor-thin slits as she studied Asher in suspicion. He couldn't possibly have agreed with her. She must have hallucinated. Something she ate, perhaps. She'd come here expecting to have to fight for her partner tooth and claw, but he was agreeing with her, and it was destroying her planned, and she hesitated to call it such, lecture. Asher didn't look the least bit surprised by her reaction, answering the question while he continued eating his food.

"I said I...this is pretty good... agree with you. She needs to focus on her studies more."

"Wha- I- What?"

"You ok?"

"You- You're not supposed to agree with me!"

Weiss was unsure how to continue the conversation, at a loss now that the person she'd thought would argue with her hadn't. Her mind worked overtime, trying to establish something else, anything else, to save face in some way and stop her own stuttering. Nothing came to her mind, and she could already feel herself losing her composure. Thankfully, Asher picked up the slack, continuing on as if he hadn't noticed her uncertainty.

"Why wouldn't I agree with the truth? She spends way too much time on designs for weapons, and not enough on what's important. She doesn't ever stop, either. I swear, every five minutes it's-"

"Asher! I've got the best idea EVER!"

"That."

Ruby Rose bounded up to the table with a look of utter confidence, clearly proud of whatever she'd thought up. Her enthusiasm disappeared in an instant, however, when her eyes locked onto her white-haired partner, and the glare that accompanied her. Ruby shrank away from the judgmental look before sliding onto the bench next to Asher, offering Wiess a guilty grin.

"Uh, hey, Weiss. Enjoying your lunch?"

"No, thank you, I've been trying to get you back on track with your studies."

"I know! I know! I promise as soon as I'm done helping Asher, I'll go full speed ahead on studying. I just need some more time to help him out. He's hopeless when it comes to engineering."

"Ruby, I'll be fine on my own. I don't think I'll make any masterpieces, but..."

"You shouldn't settle for anything but the best! She's gonna be your partner after all!"

"I still don't get where you're getting this 'she' from. A weapon is a weapon, right?"

"Finally! Someone who agrees that her ridiculous obsession with her weapon is odd! Even if he is a criminal!"

"You to, huh?"

"Of course! While it is true Myrtenaster is an fine weapon, it is still just that, my _weapon_. Not some person capable of thought. And on top of that-"

Weiss suddenly realized who she was talking to, and threw up her hands in disgust, even as Asher hid a grin. Unbeknownst to the two girls with him, when he'd learned that the white-haired girl with the scar on her face was Wiess SCHNEE, he'd thought his life was over. He'd quickly discovered, thanks to talks with Ruby, that the woman who now sat in front of him was a lot of bark, but not so much bite. At least, not without reason. As such, he found himself at the very least indifferent to the heiress and her seeming hatred of him. In the end, her opinion didn't much matter, and if all she was going to do was yell at him and give him nasty looks, he'd gotten plenty of that already at the hands of the police. Still, he let the matter drop and turned his attention back to Ruby.

"But honestly, as much as I appreciate your help, Ruby, I think seven notebooks full of designs is overdoing it a bit."

"You think?"

"SEVEN NOTE-"

"What's going on over here?"

Asher dropped his head slightly, cringing at the sound of a rather unwelcome voice breaking in. Unlike Weiss, he'd learned early and often that Ruby's sibling was more on the bite side of things. Every chance the blonde brawler got she stepped into the ring with him, and with his aura now active again, she usually got a few good, solid, painful hits in before he was down for the count. He'd also learned that she didn't think much of him, believing him to be a murderer just as much as Weiss did, even if the more proper girl wouldn't actually come out and say it to his face. Yang, however, had no such fear, and spoke with her fists instead of her mouth. The only reason he was sure he hadn't been jumped in the corridor yet was Ruby likely stepping in and forbidding it. Or maybe the teacher's had talked her down. Regardless, Asher did his best to avoid dealing with the volatile blonde. Behind her, silent and mysterious as ever, was Blake Belladonna, eyes briefly taking in the scene in front of her before setting her food down and dipping her head into an already open book.

"I'm attempting to convince our leader that spending so much time around that isn't good for her." Weiss accented her point by sticking her finger in Asher's direction, which caused the man's eyes to narrow slightly.

"I'm just helping him a little! Besides, no one ever asked you to come bother him about it!"

"But he agrees with me!"

"But he still hasn't picked a design yet!"

"Ruby, most of your designs are completely beyond my skill level. One of them is basically just a copy of your's, only painted gray, and that is a little too much to ask of me."

"AW! But it would be so cool to have another scythe wielder here at the school."

"Sis, with the way he fights, I'm pretty sure he'd cut his own head off before learning to use the thing."

"Well gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime." Yang's gave that smile that Asher hated, the one that promised pain, and he shied away again, mumbling something incoherent under his breath.

"What about the drill? That one was pretty easy!" Ruby continued on, oblivious to the exchange between her sister and her friend.

"It shoots lightning, Ruby. Lightning! I don't know about you, but I don't want anything that shoots lightening anywhere near me. Where'd you even get the idea for that?"

"Wow sis. I didn't think you were taking me seriously."

"Of course it would be her."

The three students continued their back and forth as Weiss stared at them all in disbelief. Ruby was literally churning out ideas, each just as ludicrous as the next, while Asher turned each one down in turn, citing this reason or that, and Yang poked fun at the both of them. Weiss' temper quickly started to grow, however, as she realized that her conversation had essentially been hijacked and taken in exactly the direction she didn't want it to go. Her anger continued to mount as they seemed to completely ignore her, and minutes later she reached her boiling point, standing up and slamming her hands down onto the table.

"WHY NOT JUST GIVE HIM A STICK AND BE DONE WITH IT ALL!"

Silence followed, the entire cafeteria waiting breathlessly for whatever was going to follow. Ruby nearly fell out of her seat at the outburst, Blake seemed to merely flinch slightly, Yang raised her eyebrows in wonder, and Asher seemed taken aback, before he frowned in thought. For the next minute, Weiss' heavy breathing was the only sound heard, and then Asher's frown slowly grew into a grin. Weiss braced herself, ready for some scathing remark or blatant insult, and just as ready to insult him right back.

"That's not actually a bad idea."

Her anger dissipated instantly, even as the rest of her team all turned to look at the criminal. Yang was just as shocked as Weiss, mouth moving without a sound. Blake actually pulled her book down, curious about what he'd meant and not quite as quick to jump to conclusions as the rest. Ruby seemed the most distraught, clearly in some sort of engineering version of a seizure. She stuttered something unintelligible, before getting a hold of herself and grabbing the poor man, shaking him violently in protest to the creation of a simple 'stick'.

"NO! You can't just use a stick! How lame is that? YOU. NEED. A. PROPER. WEAPON!"

"R-r-r-u-u-u-b-b-b-y-y-y! C-c-c-a-a-a-l-l-l-m-m-m d-d-d-o-o-o-w-w-w-n-n-n!"

Asher eventually managed to get the girl off of him, and he straightened out his uniform before continuing, pointing his fork into the red-cloaked girl's face. Ruby went cross eyed as her eyes tried to focus on the utensil, hands swatting at it to get it out of her face.

"Let me explain before you go all crazy on me next time. First off, I'm not actually thinking off a stick. I was actually think more of a straight-stick."

"I hate to break it to you, but I don't think a straight stick is going to be any better than a crooked stick." Yang cut in, getting over her shock quickly, if only so that she could point out what she saw as an obvious flaw in his thought process. However, Blake jumped in after her, clearly understanding the man's intentions better than her fellows. It helped she'd had experience with the particular weapon she believed he was referring to.

"It's a police baton. Or a form of one. I've seen them used, and it seems like an easy weapon to wield. Much easier than a more complex design." Blake chose to keep it to herself that police batons were usually non-lethal weapons, designed more for crowd control and suppression than killing, making them an unusual choice for fighting Grimm.

"Hey! Don't diss my designs!"

"I'm not, Ruby. I just don't think anyone could handle some of your designs. You are rather... imaginative."

Ruby humphed in disappointment, arms crossing in front of her chest. Then, as if struck by a bolt of inspiration, the girl's eyes lit up and another notebook suddenly found its way into her hands. She was barely opening the pages before the buzz of a scroll was heard, and Asher extracted the device from a pocket as he put the last of his food in his mouth. His eyes scanned the message sent to him before he snapped it closed and stood, picking up his now empty tray in one hand as he did so. The other ruffled Ruby's hair, and Yang's eyes flashed red in anger. No one was allowed to do that but her! That was a sibling thing only! Oh, he was going to get it next sparring match. Ruby, however, didn't seem to mind at all, flashing a grin up at the man.

"Where you going, Asher?"

"I'm sure you'll found out in a a little bit. See ya, friend and three people who hate me."

"They don't hate you!" Ruby shouted after her departing friend, who only offered a half-hearted salute in response, before turning to her teammates with an inquisitive look. "You don't hate him, do you?"

"I don't hate him, Ruby. I _loathe_ him."

"Uh... well..."

"I have no opinion one way or the other."

"Aw, come on, guys. He's pretty cool once you get to know him! I even found out he went to Signal at the same time as Yang!"

"Really? I don't remember anyone like him around..."

Yang dropped into thought, eyes closed as she tried searching her memories for anything about the man. Nothing seemed to come to mind, but she still had her Signal Academy yearbooks... somewhere. Maybe she'd see if her father couldn't find the guy inside them. It couldn't hurt. But the sudden revelation did throw the blonde brawler into confusion. If he had been at Signal, and probably doing at least decently, given he had his aura active during the second or third year, then what would drive him to just up and quit like that? And all to start robbing banks? There had to be a story, and while Ruby could be somewhat naïve, Yang had to admit she had a knack for sniffing out good stories.

"Say... Ruby?"

"Yeah, Sis?"

"You wouldn't happen to know why he suddenly quit Signal, would you?"

"Nope. He just said it was for personal reasons. I didn't think it was right to pry at the time, and it hasn't really come up since."

"What now, Ruby? You think that criminal trash has some pure motive for his criminal ways? Please, there's never an excuse good enough for murder."

"Don't say that! Sometimes, the worst methods are the only ones that will work..."

Blake's response to Weiss led the team into silence, each trying to work through their own thoughts. The questions brought up didn't sit well with Weiss, as if it did turn out to be true that he had some real motive for his deeds, it would throw her tidy conclusions into disarray. Blake was now only pretending to read her book, mind miles away remembering things she sometimes wish she'd never done, but still uncertain as to what similarities, if any, existed between her and the gray-haired man. And Yang, so used to clear cut methods and charging ahead, could barely begin to wrap her head around all the questions getting thrown at her. She needed to figure this out, or it was going to drive her nuts. Ruby, on the other hand, was already hard at work designing a new weapon. A straight-stick, huh? What did those look like? Maybe she could ask Blake about it later. It was the first time Asher had actually offered an opinion other than rejection, and she wanted to see if she could include it in a design. Maybe it would be more awesome than she originally thought. The silence was broken, however, as every scroll in the cafeteria, and the rest of the school, buzzed with a message. Everyone pulled out the mobile devices and popped it open to find a short invitation to something most would ignore.

_To all students:_

_Report to the training arena for a special class on criminal methods immediately after lunch, if interested. If not, report to your preassigned classes. -Professor Goodwitch_

Ruby's following grin after reading the message was noticed by all her teammates, but before she could even open her mouth, Weiss was already jumping the gun with her refusal. No Schnee would be found studying criminal methods from a convicted felon, not before, not now, not ever! She absolutely refused!

"No."

"Wha- Aw, Weiss, come on!"

"I said no, Ruby, and I mean no! We need to focus on our main studies, not some... some... look into the criminal mind!"

"I don't know... much as I hate to admit it, it does seem kinda fun."

"Yang?"

"It couldn't hurt to take a look."

"Blake? Am I the only reasonable person here?"

"Aw, come on, Princess. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"It's not a matter of wanting to or not. Learning to be... criminals... is not something that any self respecting person should want to do!"

"But it's just learning how they do it! Come on, Weiss! Please?"

Ruby threatened to pull out the puppy eyes, but Weiss steadfastly refused to budge. Admitting defeat, Ruby said goodbye to her partner, while Yang waved to the heiress as the leader led the march away, Blake trailing behind the pair. Weiss steadfastly refused to move from her spot, arms crossing in defiance, even as she watched the rest of her team disappear out the door. A moment passed, then Weiss let out a small shriek of fury before gathering up her uneaten lunch and dashing off after friends. She'd promised to be the best teammate ever, hadn't she? And what best teammate would simply leave her team because of one little class? Not her! But she promised herself that she would refuse to take it seriously. It was not mandatory for her education, so she would waste as little time on it at all as possible. Besides, what could it hurt to humor Ruby just this once? Surely she'd see reason after watching her newest friend being the low-life he was. Right?

Right?


	9. A Question of Reasons

_Mr. Mercury_

_You are to report to the training arena early. I have things to discuss regarding the class you are to assist me in. Change into your combat uniform before your arrival. -Professor Goodwitch_

The message was the reason Asher had interrupted his conversation with Ruby and headed off early, jogging lightly to make it to his dorm and change before reporting to his destination. The whole time he was throwing around the idea Wiess had inadvertently got into his head. A straight-stick. He'd used them a couple of times himself, during robberies gone bad. While he couldn't say he knew any specific techniques, he could attest to the damage they could do, having felt them himself a few times. If he had a straight-stick already with him, then he'd be able to use it whenever he needed, such as during a job. Surprised him he'd never thought of that before. Everyone seemed to shove guns into their weapons here at the school though, so maybe he'd be able to put some small pistol or something inside it. Or something, probably. He'd seen Ruby's designs. She was not one to settle for small. Asher sighed at the thought before realizing he'd made it to his destination. He paused a moment to straighten his appearance, blandly noticing that he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, before he stepped through the door and into what he would have swore was a bank lobby.

"What the fu-"

"I suggest you never finish that sentence, Mr. Mercury."

"Professor Goodwitch. Ma'am. Uh... what's all this?"

"This is the training ground we'll be using for your classes. At least to begin with. The Headmaster feels a more... hands on... approach will be better for teaching than simple theory. As such, this facility has been temporarily reconstructed to have the basic appearance of the average bank. We have equipment over there you can use at your will, although it is all fake."

"Of course. Let's see what we have here... Knives. Guns. Bombs. Drill. Torch... What the hell is this thing? Nevermind, don't want to know. And this box has... police gear, looks like. Oh! A straight-stick! I was looking for one of these, actually. Mind if I-"

"You may not keep it, Mr. Mercury."

"Damnit. Alright. Seems like a fairly good set-up. There's a vault too?"

"In the back."

"Good to know. So you teach and I just help out, right?"

"Yes and no. I am not a criminal, and I don't pretend to know how you work. Therefore, I will help as I can, but the Headmaster's instructions are for you to lead the class through whatever you want."

"Really? That seems a bit... irresponsible. I can work with that, though. I guess. Actually... do those camera's up there, work?"

"They do."

"Great! I have an idea..."

* * *

Asher was all set up by the time the bell started ringing for lunch to be over, and people started showing up. The first group that came in he practically pounced on, and it was with his luck that he received a solid punch to the face that sent him sprawling. He was on the ground only a moment before his mind registered the hit, and he groaned more out of annoyance then pain. Of course the first group here had to be them. And of course, he'd had to spook that one before any of the others. It actually surprised him a little that the other three had shown up, Ruby he'd pretty much just assumed she'd be here. Regardless, as he hauled himself back to his feet, Ruby was there to help him up, looking worried.

"Asher, are you alright? I'm really, really sorry about that! YANG! You need to apologize to!"

"Hey! It isn't my fault he nearly jumped me as soon as I stepped through the door!"

"But still, you shouldn't just-"

"Just leave it, Ruby. I'm fine. Besides, I got to get you four prepped."

"Prepped?"

"Yup. You're the first team here, meaning you're the criminals in our scenario."

"I'm a WHAT!?"

Weiss almost had a meltdown right then and there, but her anger was quickly soothed once Asher continued explaining. As part of the class, Professor Ozpin apparently wanted demonstrations. That was all well and good, but they didn't really have the bodies to play all the roles. So the easiest method was to simply use the students. Not only would they get the knowledge, they'd get to actually be a part of the scenario. It worked out best for everyone. Weiss continued grumbling, unhappy that she was apparently the robbers, but she went along with it. Asher quickly gave them the basics, some fake pistols and a couple of bags. Even Yang was giving him a questioning look, but he waved it away. Asher was gone before anyone could get in another question, scooping up another team that had wandered in and instructing them to be clerks at the bank. The same thing happened to two more teams, getting made to be civilians and guards respectively, before Asher started ignoring the few incoming teams after that. By the time the second bell rang for the classes to begin, Asher counted 8 teams total, of varying years, which was more than he'd expected. Regardless, he directed each of his "actors" to their positions, even as he began speaking.

"Alright! There was an official name for this class I was supposed to use, but I forgot what it was because it was something stupid. Instead, we're going to be watching fellow students go through a bank job, and from there, I'll point out things they did wrong, or did right. This first one is a dry run, they'll just go through it and we'll see how they do. After that, I'll walk everyone through it step by step. We got two hours, plenty of time to do this right, and maybe have people switch out here and there. Questions?... No? Alright then. TEAM RWBY! GO!"

* * *

Two hours later, and Asher was the last person in the training ground, the other teams having headed to their final classes. He was helping out by collecting the discarded props, while at the same time reviewing the lesson in his head. It had turned out better than he'd expected, despite the general feeling of disinterest he first felt from his fellow students. Most had apparently not come to the class to take it seriously at all. That had changed as soon as team RWBY had begun their dry run.

It had started off well enough, likely do to Weiss' general desire to plan things out. They'd entered the "lobby" and quickly taken control of the situation, Ruby darting around the room using her semblance and taking out the guards furthest away, while Yang barreled through those closest. Meanwhile, Weiss and Blake took control of the civilians, ordering them to get down. It was here that they made the first mistake, and mainly because they simply didn't have that much experience handling hostages. Instead of having the workers come out from behind the counters, Weiss had gone back with them to keep an eye on them. A reasonable way to do it, but certainly not the best. The very least they could have done, and what he'd done during the Payroll job he'd been caught in, was have the clerks back away from the desks before getting down. It made it a bit easier to keep an eye on them over the counter, and didn't require that you shepherd them out onto the main floor. Explaining that came later, but an idea came to him as Asher watched one of the clerks quietly stick his hand up and tap the panic button. The criminal had smiled as he'd gathered up the remaining observer's, quietly assigning them the role of the police. Then he dug a stopwatch out of the bins and started it up, letting the girls go about their business for 10 minutes. They'd run into the hiccup of the vault, and were unprepared to simply get it open themselves. Thankfully(for them), Weiss had some experience dealing with banks, and quickly set them to finding the manager while the rest guarded the hostages. Unfortunately, they didn't count on the manager stubbornly refusing, even with the promise of pain. Frustrated and directionless, the time till police arrival hit, and he sent in the rest of the students present to "apprehend the criminal menace". Needless to say, the four stood little chance against so many of their fellows. Asher had gotten a good laugh out of that, but had quickly explained that he'd needed to present a failure, to help showcase some of the mistakes amateurs make. From there, he'd begun to show them what his crew did, as well as some techniques from other robbers he'd met.

Still, the class was over before he'd known it, and Asher felt satisfied in simply getting to be back in his element, even if it was to show others how things were done from the other side. Professor Goodwitch had no objections, despite her general misgivings about the whole thing, and had left him to his task, only watching through the camera's and acting as an additional security measure. NOw that Asher was alone, however, he found himself pausing in his work, mind turning to his friends, who were likely still on the run, or at the very least, lying low and keeping their heads down. He just wished he knew what they were up to sometimes.

"What are you thinking about?"

Yang's voice, not quite so violently angry as usual when directed at him, cut into his thoughts, and Asher turned to face the blonde. He studied her a moment, the woman leaning against the door frame in a sort of fake relaxation, despite the fact that he could feel her contained hostility coming off of her like her aura. Taking that into account, the criminal decided it would be safer to play nice, even if he'd prefer to simply brush off the question and slip away as quickly as possible. At least Ruby would be pleased that he was trying.

"Just about what the rest of the crew must be doing."

"Rest of the crew?"

"Yeah. You should know after the class that you never do a bank job on your own. What are you doing here anyway? Don't you have a class to be at, Ms. Xiao Long?"

"I'd think a criminal wouldn't mind playing hookie every once in awhile." Yang stepped further into the room, eyes wandering the now empty bank lobby, as if searching for something to say. A few moments passes in silence, Asher simply continuing on with his task, before Yang bent and picked up a police baton, swinging it experimentally. "Sooooo... I talked to a few of my friends about you."

"Nothing nice to say, I'd guess."

"Actually, it was about you being at Signal. It seems you really did go before."

"No reason to lie about it. I went. I quit. End of that brief chapter of my life."

"And I got that, but I can't figure out why you would quit. I mean, it's Signal. One of the best Hunter Prep Schools in Vale. Why would you just give all that up?"

Asher kept silent, his mind working through the possibilities. Yang seemed genuinely both confused and curious, and while he was far from sharing any of his personal life with her, or even letting her in on his entire reason for doing it, he was considering slipping her a clue. He'd seen how protective she could be of Ruby, even in the two weeks he'd been here, and he didn't doubt the lengths she'd go to if the need ever arose. Still, would she understand the lengths he'd gone? Would she be able to understand why he'd given up everything he'd ever had, his own reputation and a highly regarded place in society? He didn't know. But he could certainly test the water.

"Yang, you love Ruby, don't you?"

"Of course! She's my sister!"

"What would you do to protect her?"

Yang blinked in surprise. The question had seemingly come from nowhere, and she couldn't help be taken aback. Still, her mind latched onto it greedily. A question she could answer easily. Once her surprise was gone, she set herself squarely against the man in front of her and sharpened her gaze.

"I'd do anything."

"And that, Yang, is why I gave up everything."

"That doesn't explain anything! You know what? I don't even think you HAVE any real reasons to give! You're just a plain criminal, who takes pleasure from stealing from others! The least you could do is fess up, and just act like the person you are, instead of trying to win the pity card from people like my sister, and then use them just to make your own life easier!"

Asher offered the blonde a weak smile before dropping the last of the equipment into the bins and heading for the door. He needed to get away from this woman. She was getting on her high horse, taking the moral high ground, and his blood was starting to boil. Yang, however, was not one to give up easily, particularly when she had found something, in this case a question, she wanted answered. And more riddles were not answers. Before he'd even made it to halfway to the door, the blonde had placed herself in his path, arms up in a ready stance. She'd beat the answers out of him if necessary. Asher groaned in annoyance before sighing, trying to rein in his fraying nerves. This was not the way he wanted this conversation to go.

"What do you want from me, Yang? My life story?"

"I have to know you're not going to hurt Ruby, Asher, and so far it ain't looking good. My little sister seems to think that you did what you did for a good reason. I can't think of any reason good enough to commit murder, and as I just said, I don't even think you have any real reasons. But if you do, you better hope they are damn good ones. Hell, to tell you the truth, I think you just act like you do to convince yourself that you're somehow allowed to hurt other people. That it's somehow ok! News flash, IT ISN'T!"

Asher's considered himself a fairly calm person. Most things he took with a grain of salt, and he took verbal and physical abuse with little more than half-hearted complaint in return. One thing he couldn't stand, however, was someone else looking down on his motivations. Yes, he was a criminal. Convicted criminal, now. Yes, he was well aware that he was not one of the good guys, not after everything he'd done. But the reasons for the things he'd done were always about his sibling. He would have gone to the depths of hell if it meant Azure's life was saved, and he refused to allow anyone to question that. So, before he'd even noticed, Asher had closed on Yang, forcing her to back pedal at the sheer ferocity of his conviction, something she hadn't expected coming from him.

"What gives _you _the right to question my motivations? What gives _you _the moral high ground to tell me I'm not doing the right thing? Is it because you're the good guy? The hero come to save and protect us simple citizens from all the hellish monsters that are the Grimm? Is it because the government, the law, says I'm wrong, regardless of my reasons for committing the crimes? Or maybe it's because you just happen to be stronger than me, and therefore have the right to impose your judgements on me?"_  
_

"No! That isn't what I-"

"Shut up and listen, Yang Xiao Long. I'm a robber. I'm a criminal. I'm a convict. I'm a 'bad guy', and I know it. That doesn't mean I give you the right to question my reasons. They may be stained black with my sins, and they may seem like nothing to everyone else. But I do what I do for them. I _live_ for them. I would _die_, for them. I didn't ask for your judgement and hatred, but I'll live with it. And I certainly don't want whatever pity you might feel, but I'll live with that to. I'll carry out my sentence with whatever shreds of dignity and honor I have left, regardless of the fact that I feel no guilt over my own crimes. But you, who have no idea my circumstances or my past. _You_ have no right at all to question me. So get off your damn high horse, and leave me. The hell. Alone."

Yang's back was against the wall now, lilac eyes staring into hard, angry grey ones. The person in front of her was not the oddly calm Asher of Beacon Academy. Nor was it the reportedly insane murderer the news portrayed him as. Honestly, she could have dealt more easily with either one. No, this Asher carried within him a conviction strong enough to let him do anything if it would help accomplish his goals. She felt a shiver run through her as she realized she was not meeting a mere criminal, she was meeting a person with just as strong a will as her, as Weiss, as Blake, as Ruby, as any student in the school. The blonde had no doubts now, whatever his reasons, he believed in them strongly enough to be unafraid of what others thought of him, and unashamed of the things he'd done. And he'd have done them again, in a heartbeat, if given the same choices. Silence followed as the two students merely stared at each other, before Asher pulled away and slipped out the door.

Minutes after, Yang still stood against that same wall, staring into nothing. She had come here to question what she thought was a mere criminal, pretending to be a Hunter. What she'd found was Hunter, hiding in a criminal's body.

* * *

Asher was laying on his bed hours later, the door already secured shut, thinking on the meeting with the blonde. His mind went over the scene again and again before he moaned. Damnit! He'd said too much, and now he felt like an hypocritical ass. There he was going on about getting off her high horse, and he'd just jumped on it after pushing her off. And where had those words come from? Stained black with his sins? Who talks like tha-... Damnit it again. He'd been spending too much time around Slate. Guy was always great with the theatrical themes. Maybe being stuck at Beacon would get that out of his system. Asher glanced around the dark room a moment, a habit he developed long before getting his sister to the hospital, as he silently check the room for any signs of possible danger. Finding none, as he expected, he rolled over to get ready to sleep, only to hear the door suddenly unlock. Asher tensed, waiting, before he heard it creek openly gently and close just as quietly. Moments later, he heard the harsh, whispered voice of an old friend.

"Asher? You there?"

"Bruno?"

The younger man rolled back over and sat up, eyes catching the form of his crew mate, and he could only see the small smile on the wolf-faunas' face. The older stepped forward and shook the younger's hand, before pulling him in for a hug. Asher could only stare in shock and amazement, mind whirling at the possibilities. Had they actually just broken into Beacon Academy? Where they insane?

"Bruno, what are you doing here?"

"I would say coming to get you out, but I'd be lying. I can't stay long, Ianthe's little hack isn't going to go unnoticed. The boss has a job for you. Inside job."

"... I was kinda hoping to leave, but hey, a job is a job. What's up?"

"You remember the new guy for the payroll thing? He took off with one of the bags, and whatever else was inside it. Ianthe says it was a gem of some kind, perfectly round and clear."

"Yeah, I remember. Seemed odd that it was just sitting there next to the money. One of the deposit boxes was just hanging open too. He really took off?"

"Yeah. Well, boss thinks that's what the Schnee guys are so mad about. Whatever it is, they want it back bad. We're trying our best on our end to figure out what it is, and find it, but..."

"But...?"

"Boss thinks if you mention it to this Ozpin guy, he might be know more, and if you're cooperating..."

"He might tell me what he knows, in hopes I might give him more."

"Yeah. That's the idea anyway. Think you can pull it off?"

"I don't know. The Professor is pretty smart... I can try, but I can't promise he won't catch on to what I'm doing."

"Well, give it a shot anyway." Bruno glanced at the glowing clock on the nightstand and growled. His time was up. He had to leave now, before the alarms starting going off. "Look, I gotta go, Asher. I wish I could have... I'm sorry, about the bank."

"Bruno, don't worry about it. They're not torturing me or anything. Just teaching me. Which might be torture, considering some of these classes. Just promise me when the time comes, you'll spring me."

"Count on it. Slate's already got something in the works for that. Something about stealing that big ass statue they got out front, and getting you out while we're at it."

"Seriously?"

"I don't question the man. Apparently some collector somewhere is looking to get his hands on it though. Regardless, you take care of yourself. Ianthe sends her regards, and while you're here, make sure to get some combat training in, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll try not to get beat up too much. Tell Ianthe I wish she were here to build me my damn weapon. Now get going, Bruno."

"See ya, Asher."

The faunas slipped out of the room, re-locking the door behind him, before disappearing into the shadowy corridors. It had taken them awhile to even get into Beacon's security system, and Ianthe even more time to put even that small hack in place. They wouldn't be getting a second meeting, not like that, as someone was sure to notice, but it was a start. And Bruno felt a small smile tug at his lips. While Asher was stuck here, and clearly happy to see him, the boy wasn't looking too bad all things considered. He just hoped that this place wouldn't change him too much. The lure of heroics and the side of "light" was always a temptation for kids like Asher, and Bruno didn't want to lose his friend to that, selfish as that was.

* * *

The next day, Asher skipped breakfast, instead making his way to the headmaster's door and knocking loudly, waiting patiently for the call to come in. Only a moment passed before it came, and Asher slipped inside to find Professor Ozpin accompanied by Professor Goodwitch, as was custom. He made his way over to the desk and stood in front of it, waiting for Ozpin to give some indication he could talk. The headmaster calmly sipped at his coffee as he went through some files on his scroll before finally looking up, eyes filled with curiosity.

"Mr. Mercury. Odd to see you here. Can I help you with something?"

"Actually, Professor, I think I remembered something else about the robbery..."

* * *

**Author's Note- Time to get the story rolling again, I think. We'll be seeing Asher's personal weapon, à la Ruby, sometime in the next few chapters. We'll see how that turns out. Anyway, I've been thinking about what other characters Asher's mentality might conflict heavily with(besides Weiss), and Yang easily fits. Yang is protective of her sister, but it's a much more open protectiveness, with Yang preferring to be with Ruby all the time, while Asher protects his sibling from the shadows, choosing to break contact with her to avoid dragging her down with him. I'm planning to bring that up more later, but I needed a good starting point for the two to butt heads, and that seemed a good one.**


	10. Informative Meetings

A week had passed since Asher had divulged what he knew about the mysterious gem his crew had stolen along with the payroll. He'd left out the fact that his crew no longer had it, of course, but Ozpin seemed to simply absorb everything that the criminal could tell him, his face set in a thoughtful expression. For a few minutes after Asher had finished, the Headmaster had sat there, eyes closed, as he mulled over the issue. Then he'd dismissed the boy, thanking him for the information. Unbeknownst to Asher, Ozpin had his suspicions about the reported gem, but he wanted to be as sure as he could be before saying anything. If he was right, though, then the Schnee Dust Company, or at least someone within it, was playing with something that was potentially dangerous beyond words. Something that, if used incorrectly, could start another Human-Faunas war. Or worse.

Asher had spent the week doing what was quickly becoming routine. Ruby was spending less time with him and more time concentrating on her studies now, but he soon discovered it was because she'd finally decided what his weapon should be. She'd taken the old hilt piece he had as reference, saying she wanted to include it in the new weapon's design, and could be found in the library quite often, hunting through books on weapon crafting. Still, her normal studies had more or less started to return to normal as well, and Asher once again found himself eating alone or with just Ruby, her teammates choosing to keep a wide berth. He was fine with that, mind wrapped up in the gem mystery anyway. Asher had just wrapped up his second class on criminal methods, this time Glynda playing a more active role in trying to steer the students in attendance towards counteracting his methods, and was looking forward to the weekend off, if just so that he could be a little lazy, when his scroll sounded off with a message from Professor Ozpin, asking for the boy to report to his office. The trip only took a few minutes, and Asher soon found himself seated across from the Headmaster, who had pulled out a large, leather bound book and placed it onto the table.

"Are you familiar with legends concerning the Grimm War?"

"Uh... you mean the war with the Grimm from ages ago? Aren't those all stories about heroes saving the day and beating back the Grimm? You know, the kinda stuff that parents read their kids at night." Or siblings read to their sisters.

"Hm. Yes, most of them do seem to follow that vein. There are a few, however, that are, shall we say, darker in nature. Not exactly popular these days, but as someone once told me, there is a grain of truth in every legend. The one that I'm concerned with, as it so happens, is the legend of the Grimm Hunt, the details of which are scarce, nowadays. According the pieces of the legend that do exist, however, there is a great Grimm, its name lost to time, that heralded the coming of hordes of Grimm. Wherever it was, Grimm followed. It was feared and hated, not only for its mere presence, but for its own power and ferocity. Accordingly, when dust was discovered, this Grimm became one of the first to be hunted. However, it was not killed. The power of those back then wasn't enough. Instead, using a dust crystal infused with the aura of hundreds, they trapped it beneath a city, leaving it there to slumber for eternity. At least, that was the plan."

"Sorry to interrupt, Professor. But I'm not seeing how this is related at all."

"That gem of your's is not a gem, Mr. Mercury. It is a dust crystal. Specifically, it is THE dust crystal, used in the legends, and if they are to be believed, also serving as a lure for the beast, and consequently, the hordes of Grimm that follow behind it."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. You mean to tell me that somehow, this gem is a dust crystal that stores aura in it?"

"That is correct."

"You have to be out of your mind. I've never heard of any dust crystal that could do that. You'd think everyone would know if they did exist."

"Mr. Mercury. You said it yourself. The dust crystal is _clear_. I can say for certain that I have never seen or heard of a dust crystal like that before you told me about it. Certainly it is not beyond possibility that, if it is a dust crystal, it could have properties unlike any known coloration?"

"Yeah. Ok. Look, let's say I believe you, which I don't, and this thing really is a dust crystal. What the hell would anyone want to use it for? Didn't you just say the damn Grimm... thing... was locked up somewhere, if _that_ even exists?"

"I wasn't done, Mr. Mercury. The Grimm was locked beneath the city, but as I'm sure you are very much aware, every lock has a key. In this case, two."

"Wait. So now you're telling me someone could let this thing out again, if they were crazy enough to want that, and then use that gem, dust crystal, whatever, to lure it pretty much anywhere because for some reason, it's attracted to aura. Am I getting that right?"

"Exactly, Mr. Mercury."

"... That doesn't sound good. Or really all the believable. Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I feel, since you are the one that brought me the information, I should inform you of what I found. And because, as it so happens, I have a need for your particular talents in retrieving certain items people don't want you retrieving."

Professor Ozpin plucked a folder from a desk drawer and placed it on the desk, opening it up to reveal a face Asher was quite familiar with. The Old Man stared back at him from the photo, white hair and wrinkled face just the same as he remembered it, and next to the first was a picture of an old relic of some kind, shaped like a sword, inscriptions in a language Asher couldn't identify pressed down the length of the blade. He examined it for a moment, then glanced back up at the Headmaster.

"This is a key?"

"I believe so. The legends refer to 'the sword which shall cleave through the darkness' and 'the shield which shall protect the light'. Everything I've found so far points to this being the sword mentioned. It's the only sword to be recovered from the area this mythical city is supposed to be, and the only relic old enough to be possible."

"So what? You want me to get it for you? I can't just waltz into the Old Man's place and ask for the damn thing."

"I'm well aware. However, if he were transporting it to be sold on the black market..."

"Oh... well, that makes for a different story. Why not just buy it then?"

"I risk being outbid, and I doubt me showing up somewhere less than reputable will do well for the school's reputation. This Old Man is moving the relic, along with a few artifacts, using a commercial train. I have the times and the routes already, I just need you to remove the sword and deliver it to me."

"A commercial train? Not the best situation, but... I can do it. It'd be easier with more people though."

"I'm afraid you'll have to do the best you can on your own. Unless you want to get in contact with your fellows and expose them to this, especially with the chances being high of the being caught if the move in the open?"

"No. Like I said, I can do it. I'll need some things though. Tasers would help with taking down the guards. I'll need a duffel bag for transporting. A crowbar, pry open the boxes the items are probably in. A gun, intimidation and suppression, if need be. Oh! A police baton, while you're at it. Straight-stick version. Might as well take that... And as much as I hate to say it, a mask. Don't want it getting out that I'm the one robbing trains when I'm supposed to be at school. Another change of clothes would be good to. Maybe a full suit? Eh, I'll let you figure it out. I'll need a ticket for that train on top of all that. Easiest way to get on board is be a passenger, after all."

"I'll have it ready by the end of the weekend. I suggest you take this chance to prepare yourself."

"I'll do that."

Asher exited the room, folder in hand, but mind miles away. If they were letting him off the leash, it should be fairly easy to get away. And he'd have something worth quite a bit of money by the looks of it. It wouldn't be easy, but if he planned everything right... The gray-haired teen was so lost in his thoughts he almost ran straight into another student headed the other way, the bow in her hair twitching slightly as she easily regained her footing. Asher blinked in surprise before shaking it away and nodding his head at Blake in silent greeting. She offered a simple nod back, before she stepped around him and kept going, eventually reaching Professor Ozpin's office and knocking gently.

"Come in... Ah! Ms. Belladonna. I have something I need your help with. Are you familiar with some of the darker legends of Remnant?"

* * *

At the same time, a certain blonde was visiting her old school, hunting for more information. As much as she didn't want to be spending her time chasing down clues about Asher, Yang was doing it anyway, now because she genuinely wanted to know his motivations, instead of just concern over her sisters safety. A call back home had gotten her father to look through her old yearbooks, and sure enough, the criminal had been in there, over two years ago. There wasn't much more than a picture of him, but it at least validated that claim. What had surprised her, however, was that during her father's look through of the books, her uncle Qrow had been around, and had noticed the name. Apparently, there was a girl with the same last name as Asher, an Azure Mercury, attending Signal at the moment. Yang doubted that was a coincidence, and so, here she was, on her Friday evening, hoping to catch the girl before she went home. Qrow had said he'd keep her here as long as he could, and Yang had practically sprinted to the airship docks, so she must still be around-

"Please, Ms. Mercury, I need to speak with you regarding your education-"

"Professor Qrow, I don't HAVE any of your classes this year! I've never had any of your classes! I don't even know what it is you teach!"

Speak of the Grimm, and they shall appear. Yang turned the at junction and found Qrow, looking as lively as ever, hastily trying to delay a girl perhaps Ruby's age, with a shock of short, bright blue hair. Qrow seemed relieved upon seeing Yang, and the girl obviously noticed, turning to fix deep, blue eyes on the other woman. Almost instantly, there was a flash of recognition, but beyond that, the girl seemed clueless as to what was going on. Yang closed the distance between them before sticking her hand out and offering a bright cheerful smile.

"You're Azure Mercury, right?"

"And you're Yang Xiao Long." The other girl shook the offered hand, but made no movements beyond that, clearly weary of what was going on. Yang's smile widened at the clear knowledge of who she was though.

"You know me? Must be because of my awesome reputation, huh?"

"More like everyone who's been in school since last year knows that you're the reason the second training hall is a burnt out pile of rubble now."

"Ah... hahaha... yeah... didn't mean to do that."

"Well, I'll leave you two to it, then. Don't press her too much about it, Yang. She's sensitive to the subject, and is already getting picked on enough as it is. Not to mention she has circumstances of her own."

"You got it!"

Azure's eyes narrowed at the teacher's words, before she switched her gaze over to Yang, who was still wearing that bright smile. The girl was tensed now, Yang could see that, and even felt a little pity. It couldn't be easy having a brother that was portrayed as a felon of the worst kind. Still, Yang had to know. And the only way to find out something, anything, was to talk to the girl.

"So... I, uh, had a few questions about your brother."

"I'm not doing this again."

"But-"

"I don't care. You want to know what I know? Go ask the cops. They questioned me enough times I had to take make up classes over the weekends."

"I just need a few-"

Azure turned and started away, dismissing whatever Yang was going to say with a wave of her hand. Yang was persistent however, and knew that there had to be some way to get her attention. If this girl was anything like Ruby, anything like Yang herself, she'd want to know how her sibling was doing. So then, the easiest way to get her attention and keep it was...

"I've talked with him!"

Azure halted at that, and Yang could almost see gears turning in her head and desires warring against each other. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, the younger girl turned to face the blonde, eyes both curious and suspicious. She was looking for any signs of dishonesty, but Yang was confident she'd find none. After all, she wasn't lying. She had talked to him. A couple of times. Most of them hostile, maybe, and more from her than him, if she was being forced to admit things, but still, they'd talked. Moments passes as Yang waited, foot tapping impatiently against the floor. Finally, Azure sighed, then checked her scroll before glancing back up at Yang and motioning for her to follow.

"Come on. I've got an appointment today, so we'll talk at the hospital. Roan'll want to hear this anyway."

"Roan?" Yang fell into step with her junior, already happy that she was at least getting the girl to open up a bit.

"My doctor. And a family friend."

The half-hour trip from Signal to the local hospital was a silent one. Azure showed no signs of wanting to talk, and Yang didn't press the issue, understanding that the girl had a place she wanted to be first. Still, it surprised her that when they reached the hospital, instead of checking in at the front desk and signing things and generally getting questioned every which way, Azure just waved to the receptionist and kept right on walking, leading them into an elevator and tapping one of the higher floors. Eventually they arrived at their destination, an examination room occupied by a single, older man. He glanced up and smiled at Azure, but when he noticed Yang, he glanced at the younger girl in question.

"She's says she's talked to Asher. Yang, meet Roan. Roan, Yang."

"Ah. Yes. The one who blew up one of Signal's training grounds."

"I keep saying I didn't mean to do that."

"Don't worry about it. I find it funny, actually. Regardless, is she going to present for the usual?"

"Yeah. I figure we can talk while we get this out of the way."

Azure had already dropped her bag on the floor and stripped off her shirt, completely unreserved about the whole thing, and was in the process of climbing onto a table with a few scanners attached to it. Roan barely batted an eyelash, instead glancing at a scroll before striding over to a computer and tapping away, the table starting up. Yang, for her part, simply took her cues from them, dragging over a chair and sitting, getting ready to start-up the conversation.

"So, about Asher-"

"You said you talked to my brother... How was he doing?"

"Uh... alright, I guess. I mean, he's attending Beacon now-"

"He's WHAT!?"

"Azure, calm down and don't jerk around. You now how this goes."

"Sorry Roan. Why in Remnant is he at Beacon?"

"Don't know. Something about rehabilitation. I wasn't really paying attention to the announcement. He's not doing so hot, either. He barely knows anything in the classes, and his fighting sucks. I should know, I fight him all time."

"Well, it has been two years since he's been in any kind of school. Doesn't really surprise me. Azure, if you could turn over please."

"Right."

Yang watched as the younger girl flipped over onto her stomach and Roan tapped away at the screen, hmming at something on the screen. The next few minutes were filled with silence, broken only by the occasional beep from the machine. Azure flipped over a couple more times at Roan's request, then he shut off the device, allowing Azure to get up and put her shirt back on. He tapped at the computer a few more times, then went over to the scroll and tapped away at that. Finally, Yang's curiosity got the better of her, and she turned to the blue-eyed girl to get some answers.

"What's up with the crazy scanner thing?"

"I was born with a rare mutation. I have to do this about once a month."

"Mutation?"

"Her body produces high levels of viral tissue. Her immune system requires regular checks and bolstering in order to continue functioning properly."

"Uh..."

"My body is trying to kill itself."

"Oh... that sounds... uh... bad."

"It was when I was younger, but I've gotten better. My aura helps bolster my defenses, and there's treatments for it now. As long as I keep these visits up, and make sure to take my medications, my body works just fine."

"Which reminds me. You should be due for another booster. Hold on, I'll go get it prepared."

"Booster?"

"It's a booster shot. Part of my treatments. Those I need four times a year. They slow down the part of me that produces the virus, while also strengthening my immune system. Hurts a lot. Roan's gotten pretty good at it, though."

Yang stared at the girl opposite her for a moment, who was idly messing with her short hair. Yang felt another flash of pity, Azure had it rough after all, but at the same time, a surge of anger filled her. How could Asher just abandon his sister when she had to deal with this? Where were her parents in all this? Yang decided against asking about the parents, she'd reserve that for Asher, but it still made her blood boil, thinking that someone would leave their sibling to suffer alone. Suddenly, she realized that Azure was staring at her in concern, mouth frowning.

"What?"

"You alright? Your eyes went all red and evil looking there for a minute."

"Yeah, yeah! I'm fine! Just thinking!"

"Alright, I guess."

"So... your brother..."

Sigh. "Alright. Ask your questions."

"Do you think he really did what everybody says he did? The robbing and the murder I mean."

"The robbery I kinda have to agree with. They have tapes and stuff for that. But... I don't believe my brother would murder anyone. Not without a very good reason. At least, I'd hope he'd have a good reason."

"Alright. I have kinda a weird question next. Do you have any idea why Asher might have started being a criminal?"

Azure made a face that spoke her mind clearly. This was not a much loved topic, and Yang almost immediately considered retracting the question. Before she could, however, Roan returned, carrying a filled syringe. He paused at feeling the tension in the air, then stepped forward and gestured for Azure to pull up her shirt. She did so, and turned so her side faced the doctor. The man expertly slipped the needle into her, and Yang watched as Azure's eyes teared up instantly and she fought back a whimper. Yang's anger only spiked, but she kept herself calm. Instead she acted on the sudden sisterly feelings that hit her, walking over and taking hold of the younger girl's hand in her own. Azure immediately squeezed, taking comfort from the simple touch, and Yang pulled her into a gentle hug, humming a tuneless song to distract the girl. A minute passes as Roan finished his task, then the needle was slid out and Azure relaxed again, letting out a breath she'd been holding in. Yang held on for a few moments longer, then pulled away to take a look at the younger girl's face, giving her a gentle smile.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine... uh... thanks... for... you know..."

"No problem! I've got a younger sister about your age. I've got no problems having another one."

"Haha. Well, as much as I appreciate the offer, I'd rather... Never mind. You asked why Asher started being a criminal, right?"

"Yeah. But if you don't want to talk about it."

"It's fine. I... the treatments I'm getting are about 50,000 lien a shot. Not to mention all the other medications I have to take in order to keep myself healthy. I don't know the exact amount, but it's pretty big. I can't say for certain, but I think my brother wanted the money for me. Unfortunately, it was unnecessary and pointless, after all, someone made a massive donation to the hospital and I get my treatments for free now, but I doubt my brother knows that. I wouldn't have used stolen money anyway."

Roan, standing behind Azure, flinched at the mention of stolen money, and Yang didn't fail to notice. Her smile grew wider, even if only she really knew why. The doctor knew something. Oh man, this was getting interesting. Still, to go criminal just to get money for shots... surely there were better ways to do it. The conversation died after that, and they made small talk until Azure said she had to be getting back to Signal. Some things she needed to pick up apparently. Yang stayed behind however, waiting till she was sure Azure was gone before rounding on the old doctor.

"You know something about Asher."

"I... I can't talk about it."

"You're going to talk about it, otherwise I'll find way to make you hurt. She may not be my sister, but Azure's hurting, bad, and I don't like that."

"I'm still not going to talk about it. I am her doctor and her friend, and that is precisely why I refuse to talk about it. What she chooses to divulge to you is her choice, but that is her life. Their lives. You'll have to get your information out of them."

"There was no donation to the hospital, was there?"

Roan remained silent, but Yang was sure of it. The doctor had lied to the girl, and probably a lot of other people as well, so that the money could be used to treat Azure's disease. Money Asher had stolen during his time as a criminal. Still, in Yang's mind, there was always a better way than one that required you abandon your sibling. You should always be ready to stand next to your sibling, to be their to comfort them. Regardless, it seemed like she'd gotten everything she was going to get out of the doctor, who had already turned away to focus on paperwork. Yang sighed, then turned and headed for the door, almost running into Azure, who had come barreling in through the door, breathing heavily. The younger girl brightened at seeing the blonde, she steadied herself before fixing her blue gaze to Yang's lilac.

"I've got a question for you actually."

"Shoot."

"When's Beacon's next open campus?"

* * *

**Author's Note- Coming up with a usable, overarching plot is surprisingly difficult for me, but I think I got something. We'll see where it takes us. Next up, we have another crime to pull off! And this time, a train job! Oh the cliche!**

**I can't say I'm completely satisfied with the way the Azure/Yang/Roan thing went, but I also can't think of any particular way to improve upon it... Eh. Something for me to think on.**

**Regardless, until next time, keep dreaming.**


	11. The Train Heist: Part 1

Asher was staring out the window of the train as it sped down the tracks, heading for it's destination an hour away. The scenery was hardly interesting, trees stretching endlessly in every direction, but Asher used it to cover his growing annoyance. The first thing he found bothersome about this particular job was the clothing. He'd had to trade in his preferred ensemble for a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a hoodie, and he was not at all comfortable. The second was his general unease about the whole situation. He was used to working in a team, a team that had trust in each other to get the job done. Working alone was not something he found he enjoyed. The last he should have expected, but he'd been too caught up in the fact that he was getting that damn tracker taken off to think of who it was he was working for this time around. So, when he'd boarded the train three stops ago, he'd been taken completely by surprise by the black-haired, amber-eyed Blake Belladonna, seated in the seat next to him, turning pages in her book almost like clockwork. They'd ignored each other since, but Asher had the distinct feeling that she was there to keep tabs on him, and was even more sure that she was finding his anguish somehow amusing. Hoping to further take his mind off of things, he went over what he knew in his head, something he'd spent the weekend pouring over.

The set-up was easy. Asher, with his train ticket in hand, could easily board the train and simply ride it to a good spot, in this case three-hour stretch that connected Vale to one of the smaller cities on the border. Professor Ozpin had already promised that there would be an escape plane nearby, ready for pick up when needed, so that left merely getting to the goods and acquiring them. He'd gotten his hands on some of the blueprints for this particular train type, and had found where they kept the cargo, a few cars back from where he'd be seated. Knowing the Old Man, Asher was sure that a few guards weren't going to be it, and had taken into consideration that some of those robotic defense systems were probably in use, as they could easily be hidden as "cargo". The issue was taking those out. Once that was done, he'd grab the sword and whatever else he could reasonably shove in a bag, and then call in the plane and be done with the place. Now that he thought of it though, he had a hunter-in-training here with him now, someone a lot better than him. If she was here to keep an eye on him...

"Blake, are you here to help me or just watch?"

"Finally decided to talk, did you?" Asher could practically hear the smirk in her voice.

"You didn't answer the question."

"I'm here to keep tabs on you. Helping you was optional."

"So?"

"So what?"

Asher turned to face Blake, and found her book placed on her lap, amber eyes matching his own gaze, smirk clearly visible on her face. Called it. The gray-eyed of the pair frowned at her, then sighed. She was making this difficult on purpose, and was taking a lot of pleasure out of it. Well, he was being forced to play the game. He needed her support to make this job go smoothly, and thinking on it, Asher was sure that Ozpin had planned it that way. It was seeming more and more like the man was behind everything that seemed to happen, and if he hadn't known better, Asher would have sworn that Ozpin was behind him getting caught too.

"So, are you going to help me or not?"

"... I'll help."

"Well... that easy."

"There's no reason I shouldn't. Besides, Professor Ozpin hinted that I should, and even gave me a duffel bag full of stuff to use."

"Really? Where's that at?"

Blake reached under her seat and pulled out the large bag, sliding it along the floor over to Asher. He, in turn, bent down and unzipped the thing, quickly taking stock of what was inside. It was identical to his own bag, containing inside a crowbar, a gun, a taser, a flare gun and a mask. About the only thing it didn't have was a baton. Asher frowned at spotting the mask before pulling it out entirely, examining it more carefully. This one was similar to the one that was hidden away in his own duffel bag, a mask made of Grimm bone plating, and marked up to resemble the creatures they came from. Asher couldn't name offhand which Grimm this one was supposed to represent, but whatever it was, the mask would serve it's purpose. He offered the thing to Blake, who accepted it and examined it herself, if only to pretend to have something to do.

"A Death Stalker."

"You can tell that?"

"Yes. Each type of Grimm tends to have different markings on the bone plates. We learned about it in Grimm Studies."

"You get _ANYTHING_ out of that class? I can barely keep myself from falling asleep... You know what, never mind. Here, take a look at mine while I get ready to do this thing." Asher retrieved his own bag from under his seat and opened it up, extracting another mask and tossing into Blake's lap. Then he extracted the gun and the taser, checking each of proper operation before putting them in his lap and retrieving the only piece he still had on him from his old clothing. The pair of black gloves were pulled on, and as he felt them slide over his hands, Asher couldn't help but grin. The time to get to work was getting closer now. So much closer. Blake interrupted his thoughts as she handed him the mask back, commenting on it idly.

"A King Taijitu, by the looks of it."

"Which one was that again?"

"The snake."

"Ah, got it. You know the plan already?"

"I was told you would have one."

"Yup. Take out the guards. Make our way to the cargo. Grab the goods. Get the hell out."

"Not much of a plan."

"I prefer to wing it for most things. It's a safe bet complicated plans are going to get derailed at some point... no pun intended. We still got a few minutes before it's time to get started, so if you have any better ideas, I'm all ears."

"Not really... Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Depends on the question."

"Do you regret anything you've ever done?"

Asher gave Blake a look that conveyed his own confusion, but he leaned back in his seat and stared up at the ceiling, considering everything he'd ever done. Did he regret any of it? The simplest answer was no. Every bank he'd ever robbed, every train he'd stolen from, every art museum he'd ever "liberated" of its contents, he could honestly say he'd enjoyed every minute of it. Well, except maybe that last one, having your face beaten into the ground multiple times while they "handcuffed" you wasn't fun. And maybe the first one, because that had been... Asher chose to divert attention to something else, hoping the girl next to him would get distracted if he started focusing on her instead of him.

"Kinda a funny question, coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I mean, your Blake Belladonna."

"And?"

"Well... I guess, to me, it seems like you're so detached from everything. Whenever I've ever seen you, your head is in a book, ignoring everything around you. Like it doesn't really matter to you or something."

"... It matters. And I do pay attention. I just... multitask."

"Can I ask why you want to know?"

"... I've done a lot of things I regret. At the time, I thought my reasons were good enough. That everything I was doing was worth it, if it changed something. Now though... all I ever did was cause more pain. And nothing really changed. Nothing truly got better."

"... I'd pry more, but that seems personal, and I don't like people poking their nose where it doesn't belong."

"You never answered my question."

"Hm? Oh. Uh... No, I don't regret the things I've done. Except maybe the getting caught part. That sucked."

Blake's eyes narrowed, he was holding something back and she was debating whether to push further or not. She finally just shook her head in exasperation before picking up her own mask again, frowning in distaste. For her, a mask is what she always wore, in the bow that hid her cat-like ears from sight. She didn't relish the opportunity to wear another one. However, logic won out in the end, forcing her to accept the fact that if she didn't wear it, she was likely going to end up in jail. Or worse, given what she'd read concerning this person simply called the Old Man. Her eyes refocused as she heard the click of a gun slide, and she glanced over at Asher, who had that slightly insane grin on his face as he slid a police baton into a special holster on his belt. The look disquieted Blake, it reminded her a little too much of some of her old White Fang comrades, but she pushed the thoughts down. They had work to do. She pulled the mask over her face, or at least started to, before she felt a gloved hand stop her, the woman glancing up at Asher's look of concern.

"You don't have to do this you know. I can figure out a way to do this on my own."

"... Hm. And let you escape whenever you please? I don't think so. Besides, you'll probably just get yourself caught again."

"Oh, ye of little faith."

Blake finished pulling the mask over her head, then pulled the taser out of her bag and made sure it worked. Everything seemed to be in order. Asher took the chance to pull on his own mask, securing it into place, before taking a deep breath and double checking his gloves were securely in place. Those were his subconscious signal after all. Once those were on, and the job was under way, be confident, be cocky, be unafraid. You were the criminal. The robber. And it was your job to liberate anything of value from your target. The thoughts reminded Asher of something, and he turned to Blake one last time to make sure of one last thing.

"From now on, you're no longer Blake Belladonna. That mask means you're Death Stalker. A robber. A criminal. And you're here to rob this train."

"Does that make you King Taijitu?"

"I don't know about a king. Maybe just Taijitu?"

"If you're going to use the names of Grimm, I'd use the full name. Besides, you are leading this little job, aren't you?"

"Didn't realize it mattered that much."

"King Taijitu and Death Stalker. Can't say it's very original."

"Good thing no one asked you. There's three guards total in this car."

"I know."

"Really?"

"Like I said, I've done some things I regret."

"So you did. Let's get this party started."

At that, Asher stood, pointing the gun into the ceiling and firing. The shot halted any conversation that were being carried out, even as Blake spun out of her seat and sprinted down the aisle, taser striking the one guard that tried to stand in the chest, hand reaching for his gun. His body shook with the electric pulse, then he was down, collapsing instantly. The second guard started to stand, but Blake was in motion before he could react in any meaningful way, leg snapping up to kick him in the head and send him back into his seat. Another kick was delivered, just to ensure he was out, and then Blake's attention was on the last guard. He threw up his hands instantly, surrendering without a fight, and the cat-faunas stripped him of his weapons and tossed them out a window, doing the same for the other two as Asher started up his speech.

"Everybody remain calm and in your seats! We aren't here for your money, or your lives, or any of you at all, really. Just passing through to the cargo a few cars down. So if you'd all kindly just sit still, keep your mouths shut and leave us to our work, me and my associate there will be out of your lives before you know it. If not, well... let's try not to think about that one. Now if you'll excuse us, we have loot to plunder. Hey, Stalker, catch."

Asher tossed one of the duffel bags to Blake, who caught in and swung it over a shoulder, then he picked up the other and gestured for his companion to lead the way to the next car. The next few cars they passed through in a similar fashion to the first, Blake rushing forward to take out any guards while Asher made sure to tell the passengers to stay in their seats and avoid causing problems. They eventually reached the cargo car, and the pair halted just outside the door, taking a moment to prepare themselves. Blake frowned as her ears caught a distinct sound, one she'd heard before numerous times.

"130's."

"How'd you- Doesn't matter. Ready?"

"Yes."

Asher popped the door open, and Blake slipped inside, Gambol Shroud pulled from its place on her back and shifted into it's whip form, already hurtling through the air and impaling itself into one of the robotic defenders. The others, totaling some 17, "glanced" at their comrade, head sparking, before Blake twisted her weapon and fired, pulling it free and pulling it back to her. The AK-130's charged the girl, but Gambol Shroud was already shifting back to its blade form, and when the first of the defenders reached her, it's blades caught only empty air, an illusion left behind as she darted up and over, bring both blades down in a cross-cut and leaving the robot in four pieces. There was a pause in the melee, as if the world had slowed down around the faunas girl, then she exploded into motion, blades slashing around her and shadow-clones turning aside attacks. Asher would comment later that it was liking a single woman turn herself into an army, but for the moment, Blake was lost in the flow of combat and adrenaline. She busted through to the other side of the robots, and quickly counted three still standing, likely missed only because they were behind some of their fellows. She was about to charge back in only to hear the report of gunfire, and the last three went down. Asher stepped in from the doorway, gun barrel smoking slightly, letting out a whistle as he surveyed the damage.

"Well... can't say you aren't good at what you do."

"I try... Still, the security seems a little lacking, considering how important this sword is."

"Come on. Maybe he just doesn't know how valuable this thing is."

"I don't know. Even without the sword, there is still all the other cargo..."

"Let's just get these crates open. Sooner we get done, the sooner we can be gone."

The pair each grabbed their crowbars and set to work ripping open crates. The task took a few moments, and Blake, back turned to her partner in crime, only halted when she started hearing the clatter of metal against metal. A frown found its way onto her face, and she turned to face Asher to find him taking things that definitely weren't what they were looking for. She stared in disbelief for a moment before shaking away her surprise and interrupting his collecting.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh... My job?"

"We only came for one thing!"

"And how suspicious would it be if a couple of robbers stole only one thing? Come on. It can't hurt. Besides, it's not like I'm going to be selling em on the market or anything. You're supposed to make sure of that, right?"

"... Right..."

Asher continued tossing artifacts and objects into the duffel bag, making sure to get the flare gun out so he wouldn't have to go digging around for it later. Blake hesitated a moment, then followed suit, filling her bag with objects as well. Minutes later, Blake found a case inside one of the containers, and she hauled it out to get a better look. Asher was almost instantly at her side, and he helped her put it down on the floor and open it up to discover the blade they were looking for, runes inscribed along the metal, resting there peacefully. Asher slipped a picture of the thing out his pocket and checked them against each other, and decided it looked right. He was not expert though. They'd have to leave that to someone with more knowledge about the sword. For now, Asher replaced the blade into the case and closed it up again before zipping up his duffel bag and hoisting both onto his shoulders. Blake started to reach for her bag as well, only to hear the clanking of metal against metal and the sound of robotic systems booting up. She straightened out, instantly on alert, and the door opposite the one they came in from exploded inwards, another wave of robots charging in to confront the intruders. Blake counted almost 30 just in her quick assessment, but she spared a moment to shoot a glare at Asher, who almost instantly moaned in grief.

"I told you so."

"Yeah, score one for Death Stalker. Think you can hold them?"

"Easily."

Blake sprang into action, Gambol Shroud once again in its whip form, hurtling through the air and dismembering robots with ease. As moments passed, Blake fired her weapon, sending the whip-like blade even faster along its path. The robot security, armed only with bladed arms, could only be destroyed as they tried to reach the woman at the center of the deadly dance. Asher took the opportunity to drag all three bags outside the door, depositing them before pulling out the flare gun and firing it into the air. A minimum of five minutes till the dust plane arrived, and as much fun as Asher thought fighting off a horde of robots was, it would probably be better to retreat to the roofs of the cars. It was from there, after all, the dust plane would actually be able to pick them up. The man discarded the now useless flare gun, instead drawing the normal one and turning to face the inside of the car again.

"Death Stalker! It's time to go!"

Blake immediately broke off her assault, weapon snapping back into her hands, and she cut through a few that were in her path before sprinting for the door. The crack of gunfire was heard, and Blake watched a few of the robots hit through ground as their feeble armor gave under the attacks. By the time the faunas had reached the door, however, some of the AKs armed with machine guns were pushing past their fellows and opening fire themselves, forcing both thieves to take cover outside. Blake took a deep breath to calm herself down, while Asher muttered something about wishing he had a machine gun about now and then pointed to the passenger car opposite them.

"Get on top of that car! We'll see if we can hold out up there, and if need be we can make our way towards the front!"

"Got it!"

Blake used the access ladder to reach the roof of the passenger car, then turned back to catch the bags as Asher tossed them up. That done, the man blindly fired the remainder of his magazine into the cargo car, not really caring if he hit anything, then discarded the weapon and scrambled up the access ladder after his partner. He grabbed hold of the two duffel bags and slung them over his shoulder, grunting at the weight. He wasn't going to be moving very fast with these. Blake took the container carrying their prize, but before she could secure on her back, the unmistakable sounds of dust planes reached her more sensitive ears. She paused a moment, confused about why there would be more than one to pick up two people, only to have her mind suddenly reach a different conclusion. Her eye's snapped up, searching the skies above her, and she spotted them instantly, little dots hovering there. She couldn't make them out very well, but she tapped Asher's arm regardless, pointing to the planes.

"As- I mean, Taijitu. I think we have company."

"Company? The cops wouldn't have reacted this fast to-"

Asher turned to take a look just as the dust planes, four in total, dropped down, coming in parallel to the train, two in front, two in back. Almost instantly, both Asher and Blake tensed at the logo painted on the side of each, signaling something very bad, even as the hatches on the sides opened up and began depositing their soldier loads onto the train. As it was, Asher could only think of one thing to say about the situation, and even if Blake wasn't willing to say it herself, she had to agree it summed it up nicely.

"Fuck."

The snowflake emblem of Remnant's largest producer and distributor of dust, not to mention one of the most powerful organizations in existence, crossed from behind by twin sabers, marking them to be part of one particularly violent branch of the company.

The SDC Security Forces had just crashed the train heist.


	12. The Train Heist: Part 2

The Schnee Dust Company Security Force, often shortened to either the SDC Security Force or the more commonly used Schnee Security, was to most citizens of Remnant either a blessing or a curse. For those who saw the company as a beneficial entity, or even a necessary evil, the men and women of the Security Force were the paragons of discipline, duty and honor. To those that feared the company, they were the epitome of that fear, bringing with them the horrors of oppression and hate. Even those that praised the company had to agree that the militant arm of the dust monopoly was incredibly aggressive and sometimes unnecessarily brutal in their methods. One of the more famous cases had group razing a small faunas living camp to the ground, all while citing that it was "infested with Grimm". The incident both cemented their willingness to serve the company's interests, and their complete disregard for the faunas, if not outright loathing, inherited from their employers. For many, it signaled the absolute power of the Schnee Dust Company, especially when it was discovered that the government had been unable to bring any of these so called "Guards" in for questioning, much less convictions.

For Blake Belladonna, they were a nightmare, bringing back memories of times far worse than now. She'd had childhood horrors about the things these people, if they could even be called that, would do to the faunas. Back then, though, she'd only been a child. Back then, she'd only been able to watch as peaceful protests were pushed aside with armed violence. Riot control, they'd called it. Uncaring violence, more like. She'd fought them during her time as a White Fang, on numerous occasions, but never on such a closed environment as a train. And never with only one other at her side, Asher barely trained in combat at all. This was not going to be easy. She considered her options, trying to come up with some plan even as her ears strained themselves, hoping against hope that she'd hear the sounds of another dust plane. She had no luck, with either of her tasks, and for a moment, she started to panic. Then she felt a hand grip her arm, and her head swiveled to meet the grey eyes of her companion, who was wearing a warm, confident smile on his face, mask pulled up to rest on his forehead.

"Ain't this great?"

"What?!"

"The thrill of the heist! I was getting a little bored, with just the robots, but now? We've got the Schnees after us, and that means we're taking the right thing after all! This is AMAZING!"

Asher, on the inside, was panicking. For him, it was the worst possible thing that could happen during a robbery. Thankfully, Slate tended to avoid the Schnee Company as much as possible, although the occasional small time bank job was performed every now and then. He'd only ever run into the militant arm of the company once, and at that only a pair of the soldiers, and he'd had Bruno there to fight them off. Later, Bruno had commented on the things he'd seen them do over the years, and even the faunas, a man Asher thought one of the most fearless people he'd ever met, shuddered in terror. That alone told him all he ever wanted to know about them. But despite all that, the training he'd received at Slate's hands stuck. Asher, for better or worse, played the part of the leader. One of the first things he'd learned from Slate was that no matter what the situation, the leader above all other's must remain calm and confident. Even if you know the situation to be hopeless, play your role till the bitter end, and maybe the path out would present itself.

"You're insane!"

"Probably! Just don't panic until I panic!"

"What happens when you panic?!"

"It's already too late, so why panic?"

Asher slid the mask back into place, then hefted the two duffel bags again. If need be, they could ditch these, but the one Blake was holding they absolutely had to keep hold of. That one was the prize this time, and it was safest with her. Still, they needed to get to the safest place possible. Options. First one, stay where they were. They'd get hit from both sides that way. Second options, go back into the room with the robots. No. They would tire, and still get hit from both sides. Third option... attack? If they could break through one of the teams, then maybe they'd be able to buy enough time for their escape to arrive. A quick recap, and Asher decided that was the only option. At least, the only one he could see. He already knew he'd be relying heavily on Blake for this one. Maybe he could argue old Ozzy into giving her a week off or something. For now, they needed to start moving.

"Alright! I got a plan!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! We need to attack one of the groups! And before you say it, yes, I know, I'm counting on you a little too much for this one, but I'll help when I can!"

"Which is to say, none at all."

Blake felt herself calming down, frayed nerves settling. Maybe it was because Asher seemed so confident about the whole thing, but somehow, the situation didn't seem so worrying anymore. She made sure the container and its contents were secure on her back, then stood and readied Gambol Shroud. She would lead the charge if need be. Blake was quickly cut off, however, as Asher started forward ahead of her, heading towards the rear of the train. She blinked in surprise, then hurried to catch up to him. He couldn't fight half-trained hunters, what was he going to do against highly trained professionals? She quickly got her answer. He leaped the gap between the train cars and continued on, sticking to the rooftops to hopefully avoid the enemy. Blake followed quickly behind, but their luck ran out quickly as they leaped the second gap they'd reached. The sudden gust of wind threatened to throw the pair off balance, and Blake glanced to her left to spot one of the Schnee Dust planes, side opened up to reveal another soldier, rifle aimed at them and loudspeakers blaring.

"HALT! YOU ARE CURRENTLY VIOLATING THE LAW! PLACE ALL BAGS AND WEAPONS ON THE GROUND, LAY ON YOUR STOMACHS AND PLACE YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEADS!"

Blake glanced at Asher, and her companion just shrugged. Blake took that as a sign to do what she thought necessary, and Gambol Shroud was suddenly hurtling through the air, pistol end slamming into the man's face and sending him toppling to the ground, rifle firing off into the man's own plane. The aircraft wobbled in mid air as its pilot nearly lost control in surprise, but it had bought the pair enough time to drop to the doorway of the next cargo car and kick it in, slipping inside to avoid the dust planes and running headfirst into the rear squad of security forces, who were making their way towards the front, probably to grab the very thing that Blake was carrying. There was a lull as everyone blinked in surprise, and then the security forces reacted, bringing weapons to bear, even as Blake kicked Asher into cover behind a crate and threw herself into the air, leaving a clone in her wake to confuse the men. They fired into the clone as it dissipated instantly under the hail of gunfire. Then Blake was among them, Gambol Shroud switching to blade form, slashing at everyone around her, scoring some hits before they reacted and the rifles shifted form as well, turning into simple longswords. That was fine for the black-haired huntress. If it was a melee they wanted, it was a melee they'd get.

Unfortunately for Blake, these were not automated robots but trained soldiers, and they quickly worked to surround her with their superior numbers. Unlike her, however, they didn't have a semblance to aid them, and the cat faunas was soon darting everywhere, leaving clones in her wake to further confuse the enemy as she worked to fight them off. She had mixed success, getting in a few good hits and knocking two of the soldiers out of the fight before a lucky swing caught the strap on the sword case and sent the thing skittering across the floor. As luck would have it, the case fell open, revealing the blade within, and one of the soldiers spotted it and made a mad dash for it. Blake couldn't let him get his hands on it, and Gambol Shroud was hurled through the air, catching the man by the leg before she dragged him through the air to slam painfully into the ceiling. This left her exposed, however, and she felt a longsword graze her stomach as she suddenly lost concentration in her defense. Her acrobatic maneuvers faltered, and the soldiers closed in for the kill, certain they'd caught her. They'd forgotten about her partner, however.

"Hey buddy! Catch!"

The soldiers seemed to turn as one, and the one closest to the sudden exclamation let go of his weapon to catch the large duffel bag that had been thrown at him. As second later, and the man was down for the count, a police baton meeting his face with enough force to break the man's jaw. Asher brought his weapon back up in case another blow was needed, but upon seeing the man just laying there, he relaxed slightly. He hadn't actually expected that to work. Another soldier rushed him however, and the robber was quickly put on the defensive, trained sword techniques barely held off by a combination of an aura defense and desperate blocking. The damage was done to the securities assured victory however. The slight pause let Blake get back her concentration, and she launched into another series of attacks, her weapon hurtling through the air as she once again sped the thing through gratuitous use of gunfire. The four she still had fighting her settled into their own rhythm however, working in tandem to fend off her mid-range attacks. Unknowingly, Blake quickly found herself in the same position as another faunas Asher worked with regularly, eyes darting constantly between her own fight and Asher's.

And just like then, Asher's defenses were insufficient to the challenge. The enemy quickly pushed through his feeble guards and within only a few moves had him on the ground. Asher's face met the cold steel floor, and then the soldier delivered a solid punch to the criminal's stomach, and Blake flinched visibly at the sound of it. The soldier was quick to force the young man's arms behind his back and wrench them back, forcing him up and onto his knees. Blake desperately searched for an opening in her opponent's combined defense, but none presented itself. It was only made worse when the soldier holding her companion hostage pressed a gun to Asher's head as he faced her, cruel eyes shining and smirk bearing every ounce of ill will it possibly could have.

"Put the weapon down and cease fighting! Or perhaps you'd prefer he die?"

Blake's attacks halted, and Gambol Shroud snapped back into her hands, her body tense as she felt a struggle grow in her soldier's surrounding her backed off slightly, weapons switching to rifle form as they trained on her, ready to fire if she made a move. Moments passed, and then Blake tossed her weapon away and kneeled. They'd lost this one, and more than likely, once they removed her mask, they'd realize what she was and kill her on the spot. But it was her only option. If she could buy just a little more time, maybe she could somehow find a way out. There had to be a way.

One of the soldiers came forward cautiously, inching towards her as he got closer, before he grabbed her hands and shoved her to the ground, knee at the base of her neck to keep control of her. Asher was similarly dealt with, the soldier at holding him at gun point simply shoving him onto his stomach before dropping his knee into the boy's neck. The remaining three others woke their comrades and began collecting the bags and weapons scattered about. The one holding Asher, who was quickly identifying himself as the leader, radioed his comrades further towards the front, asking for directions. A moment passed before they were instructed to bring the sword to the forward team, who apparently had an expert with them. The leader quickly directed four of his men to escort the prize, and as they left with blade, he grabbed Asher and forced him over to Blake, where he had two of his subordinates take hold of the two teens and force them to their knees.

"You know, when I got told about this job, I didn't expect a couple of robbers to beat us to the punch. Still, you did us a favor. Now we can look like the good guys, recovering a lost relic of the old days from the criminals that murdered the entire train and tried to make off with the cargo."

Blake's eyes widened in shock, while Asher tried to give the man a cocky grin. It didn't come out right when you were sporting a large welt on the side of your face and you could barely breath because of the pain in your stomach. Still, Asher forced himself to at least try to keep up the act. Getting shot execution style was not how he wanted to die. Especially not during an admittedly failed job.

"H-Hey! No reason to kill us, right? Not like we plan on talking to anyone about failing."

"Sorry, little man. But we just couldn't have a pair of cold-blooded murderers on the loose, now could we? Just have to wait for the word to start, and then we say our goodbyes."

The following silence was thick with blood lust and fear. Even Asher felt his mask of confidence, something he took pride in maintaining, begin to crack, and Blake, though appearing stoic, was subtly trembling. Soon, the radio buzzed to life again, saying they'd confirmed the package, and the team leader readied his pistol, placing it against Blake's head first. Before he could pull the trigger, however, an explosion from outside rocked the train car and grabbed his attention. The pistol was pulled away as he turned to one of his men, telling him to get outside and check while he radioed in. The man started to make his way towards the door, but Asher, noticing his own guard had done lax, stood and snapped his head back, shoving his skull into his captor's nose. The soldier stumbled back in pain and surprise, but Asher ignored him, instead diving sideways and tackling the second guard, freeing Blake. The woman was frozen for a moment, her surprise evident, then she was moving, leaping into the air and dropping on top of the stunned soldier, wrapping her legs around his neck and tightening her grip till she felt his body pitch forward. She rolled with him and onto her feet, ready to spring to Asher's aid, but he'd taken his opponent down just as quickly, driving his now bloody fist into the soldier's face until he'd stopped moving. The whole episode had happened in mere moments, and the team leader turned to stare at them for a second before his pistol came up and he started shouting.

"WEAPONS FREE!"

Blake grabbed Asher and threw them both behind a few crates, bullets bouncing off the ground where'd they been not moments before. They stayed huddled there for a moment, rounds getting fired at them, before Blake took the small opportunity to check over her companion. His face, and most likely his arms as well, were covered in bruises. Checking the back of his head, the girl found blood already seeping from a small gash located among his hair, and of course his fist had a number of cuts along his knuckles. But regardless of the damage, Asher seemed unconcerned.

"We've got bigger things to worry about."

"If you say so. Still, you're in no condition to be fighting anymore."

"What do you mean 'fighting anymore'? We need to find a way out of he-"

"ALL FORCES, RETREAT TO THE FRONT OF THE TRAIN! REPEAT, ALL FORCES RETREAT TO THE FRONT OF THE TRAIN! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK FROM AN UNIDENTIFIED DUST PLANE!"

The radio on the leader crackled to life, and the gunfire stopped before they heard the sound of footsteps on metal and then nothing. They stayed down a moment more, then Blake stood slowly, peeking over their hiding spot to find no one present except the two downed guards. For a moment, she was in disbelief, then another explosion rocked the train cars and she slipped from the hiding spot over to her guard, retrieving Gambol Shroud from his unconscious body. She felt better with the weapon in her hands, but she couldn't bring herself to relax. Not with all those people in danger in the passenger cars. Blake started towards the door, ready and willing to throw herself back into the fight, only to feel a hand grab hold of her arm and halt her progress forward. She turned angrily, ready to punch Asher, only to come face to face with his unmasked face.

"We can't, Stalker."

"Let me GO, Asher! I have to do something! We can't just let them die!"

"It wouldn't do any good and you know it! We have to leave them!"

The words struck her speechless, despite everything that had been said about him, Blake never thought Asher would actually say something like that. But when her eyes found his expression, she could see the pain, just as bad as her's. He didn't like the situation any more than she did, but he wasn't letting it get to him as much. Maybe she was only be hit this hard because of her own past, because of some of the things she'd done. Part of her felt ashamed, she was always the one to look at the situation logically. And logically, if they died here, more than likely she'd only make matters worse. Especially given her heritage. Leaving now would ensure that she had the opportunity later strike back at these horrible people. That alone would have to be enough this time.

"Let me go, Taijitu."

"Not until I'm sure you understand."

"I get it. I do. Just... let's get out of here."

Asher examined her for a moment, then released Blake's arm and took a hasty step back. She dusted herself off, then led the way to the door and climbed up to the roof. Asher followed behind, and when they were both on top of the train car, they spotted the other, unmarked dust plane. A flash of red light exploded out of the open side, then the pair saw a ball of fire shoot into the train, rocking the cars again. Then, as if noticing them, the dust plane slowed and brought itself in line with their car, revealing Glynda Goodwitch, looking as disapproving as ever. Still, once the two students were on board and had rested a few minutes, the professor came forward, needing answers.

"What happened?"

"We found it. Then the Schnee guys showed up. They took it. Almost killed us. Did kill all the civilians on the train..."

The silence that followed seemed to weigh heavily on the two teenagers, and Glynda, for a moment, broke her facade of stern teacher and briefly considered comforting them in some way. But the idea was discarded quickly, what they needed now was time to come to terms with what had happened. She left them alone, heading up to the cockpit with the pilot to give the two space. Blake, as soon as her teacher was out of sight, began to sob openly, uncaring of who else might see her. Everything she'd done as a member of the White Fang hadn't been as brutal as outright murder. Sure, she'd helped destroy factories, steal dust shipments, even the occasional kidnapping. But she'd never outright massacred people, and it was because the White Fang were getting more and more violent that she'd left. Faced with something like this. Asher could only watch as she cried, unused to having to deal with other people's emotions. He considered treating her like he would his sister, all those years ago, but he pulled away from the thought. His sister was one person, who had probably changed in the years since he'd left. Besides, he assumed Blake wouldn't much like him ruffling her hair or giving her a hug. So he simply sat in silence, the girl's sobs eating at his conscience, even though he could barely hear them over the roar of the engines.

* * *

The news was filled with stories of the blood filled train the next day. The government had been quick to take control of the situation, but someone, somewhere had leaked pictures to the media, and that was all it took. The fuzzy images, while hard to make out, did give the public everything they needed to start getting antsy. The first few showed the hazy image of a pair, wearing masks made to look like the bony armor of the Grimm. The others all showed the aftermath. Destroyed AK-130's, ransacked cargo, and the civilians, brutally murdered and left to rot inside the passenger cars. Questions were raised as to what the government was doing to catch the criminals, but the police kept their mouths shut. There were higher powers at work, now, and the government wasn't about to reveal everything it knew. Not when the most powerful company in the world had supposedly uncovered the mess.

All this, of course, was old news to a certain Head of Security. Normally, the man might have even been pleased with the outcome. This particular day, however, he was very unhappy. Not only had his men allowed two people, the criminals in question even, escape, but while they had brought back a sword, it wasn't the right one. An extremely good replica, perhaps, but not the right one. He'd been sorely tempted to shoot his expert and find a new one, but he doubted that would have changed the answer. Someone had anticipated the robbery, and had placed a decoy because of it. There was only one man in a position to do that. Remnant's most elusive Black Market dealer. And now, the Schnee Dust Company would be hunting for him.

There would be no place on Remnant safe enough for the Old Man.

* * *

The news was taken an entirely different way for a certain pair of robbers, hiding away in a rundown apartment complex within Vale's more unsavory districts. Yeah, the murdering had been horrifying, but they knew that the criminals hadn't done it. In particular, one of them wouldn't have done it, and that was the one they were most interested in.

"See the way he moves. Cocky bastard when he's in character."

"I'm not blind, Bruno. I can see that's him just as much as you can."

"Honestly didn't expect them to use him, though. Wouldn't be the first move I'd make. Still, Slate'll be pleased."

"He was right though. Asher is the only one they have with the experience. And I wouldn't trust any old criminal off the street."

"Yeah, but there's no way to contact him now. They found your little trick after all, Ianthe. Even the boss isn't sure how we're going to work this one."

"Bruno, Bruno, Bruno. You just have to know where to look. Yeah, they have our faces. But they don't have Slate's. And there's this lovely little party coming up in a few months that's held every year at Beacon Academy..."

Bruno frowned in thought a moment, then a smile found it's way onto his face. The Remembrance Day Ball. A student affair, really, although there were always a few outsiders invited to the occasion. That could work. That could work really, really well. And if they did it right...

"I'll go talk to Slate. He's gonna love this."

"Why do you think I thought of it?"


	13. Setting the Stage

When the pair of would-be train robbers returned to Beacon, they were quickly and quietly ushered into Professor Ozpin's office to give their report. The Headmaster took the news with a thoughtful expression on his face, likely already forming plans, before he'd dismissed them back to their rooms. Blake had been quick to disappear, likely worn out from both the physical and emotional toils of the day, and Asher was inclined to agree that avoiding people would probably be the best option. Unfortunately for him, he'd hardly gotten the opportunity, as word of his return had somehow gotten to the ears of a certain, enthusiastic young red-cloaked girl. Before he'd even made it half-way to his own room, Ruby was coming it at him like a guided missile, tackling him and sending both to the ground. Asher groaned in pain, the second time that day someone had hit him in the stomach, while Ruby sat up, rubbing the top of her head gently before her eyes focused on the older man she was now seated next to.

"Asher! I finished it!"

"Finished... ow... Finished what, exactly?"

"Your weapon!"

"My wea- Don't you mean the design?"

"Uhhhhhhh..." Ruby giggled nervously, eyes refusing to meet Asher's and he frowned at her evasiveness, she was clearly up to something.

"Ruby... What did you do?"

"Well... I DID design it. But then, you know, I sorta... kinda... got a just a leeeetle bit over excited. So... I might have built it for you..."

The younger girl seemed to pull a black, squared case as if from nowhere and dropped it into Asher's lap, the weight of it making the man grunt. He glanced once more at the girl before gingerly taking hold of it and undoing the latches, each opening with a dull click. He paused a moment, not quite sure he wanted to see whatever monstrosity Ruby had cooked up, then sighed and opened the lid to reveal what she was adamant was his new weapon. What he discovered inside surprised him, despite her seeming insanity, she'd actually constructed something reasonably tame.

The weapon was a single, long-barrel revolver, slightly larger than anything he'd ever seen before. The revolver's chamber itself also seemed slightly oversized compared to those he'd seen before. Closer inspection revealed the hilt from "Crystal Virtue" repurposed into the grip of the handgun. Asher frowned at the sight, the silver-grey material of the piece seeming to mock him with what it used to be, before he silently picked up the weapon, and frowned at the weight. He'd handled a few revolvers before, albeit nothing quite as large as this, and he'd assumed it would weigh more. Ruby seemed to notice the look he was giving it, and quickly assumed the worst.

"You don't like it?"

"What? Oh! No, it's... it's fine. I just... didn't expect it to weight so little. I thought it would... I don't know..."

"Weigh more? I used titanium-steel alloy, it keeps the weight down and reduces corrosion issues, so you don't have to clean it as much. I chose a revolver design because it would let you load whatever kind of round you needed. Like some of those stun-rounds that the police use sometimes."

"Right. More options is always better."

"I made a bunch for you already. I left them in my locker though. Didn't think you'd need them until tomorrow. Where have you been all day, anyway?"

The question brought a sour look to Asher's face, and Ruby caught the expression easily, even though he was quick to wipe it away, and her look of curiosity was replaced with one of concern. Asher already knew he couldn't talk about it, especially given everything that was going on. So, he decided he'd have to change the flow of conversation. If he'd learned anything about Ruby Rose, it was that she loved weapons, and she'd provided the perfect one to talk about herself.

"I see the revolver, but I remember asking for a straight-stick."

The girl's eyes lit up, her concern temporarily discarded in favor of a more interesting topic, at least for the moment. Instead of answering, however, she took the weapon from him and seemed to snap the weapon upwards, as if closing a double-barrel shotgun. The barrel of the gun straightened out with the grip, forming a solid, straight piece, then seemed to shift pieces around, becoming more like a cylinder. The revolver chamber locked itself into place as the barrel closed up completely, turning that portion of the weapon into a solid piece of cylindrical metal. Then everything locked into place, forming, once all was said and done, what could only be described a metal straight-stick. Asher watched the entire procedure without comment, then took the weapon back from her and gave it an experimental swing. It certainly felt solid, and heavy, enough to deal some damage. He eventually glanced back up at Ruby to discover a cocky grin settling on her face, and he sighed in resignation before reaching out and ruffling the girl's hair.

"I can only say... damn good job, you did. Aren't I supposed to make my own, though?"

"Well... TECHNICALLY, yeah, you're supposed to. But..."

"I get it. Don't ask, don't tell. Still, I have to thank you for this, Ruby. I don't think I could make anything even close to this thing."

The girl was practically glowing with the praise, and Asher was happy to give it. He was being truthful in his praise, he probably wouldn't have been able to come up with something even half as inventive as this. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He was effectively using Ruby to make his own life easier, even if he hadn't intended to. Still, he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially not considering the need he had for a good weapon. Once Asher was finished bestowing his praise on the girl, Ruby spent the next few minutes going over how exactly to make the weapon shift forms(which actually involved a small pressure switch hidden within the grip, as well as the hand motion to snap up the barrel) as well as minor necessities for maintaining the revolver. Still, as the basic lesson ended, Ruby was suddenly in his face again, eyes narrow in concern and suspicion. Asher grinned at her with as much innocence as he could muster(which wasn't much) and fiddled with the weapon in his hands in agitation.

"What's up, Ruby?"

"Where were you today?"

"... Nowhere, really. Thought I needed a break, so I was in my room. Why?"

Ruby stared at him, clearly not believing a word of it, but she let the matter drop. Asher was thankful for that, he wasn't sure how he would have gone about convincing her he wasn't doing anything crazy. They'd gone their separate ways at that point, Ruby silently promising herself to get to the bottom of it, especially with Blake mysteriously disappearing at the same time. Her later interrogation of the cat-faunas would reveal nothing either, other than a bland look and then outright refusal to talk. Ruby eventually left her alone, and the next few days past uneventfully, the students settling into the routine of schoolwork easily. Still, the team leader couldn't help but feel like something was off about Asher and Blake. Her time was soon consumed, however, by Asher and his new weapon, or rather, helping him learn to use it. The first time he'd fired it the thing had nearly launched itself out of his hands. This lead to a rather awkward discussion between the two, namely in the use of .50 caliber rounds in a handgun, and how much it was a bad idea to try. Ruby, of course, remained stubborn about her design, accusing Asher of just not having enough skill to handle the "awesome" pistol. Still, with a little practice, and some aura reinforcement, Asher found he could easily fire the weapon using the relatively large bullets. Not much could be said of his accuracy, but that would come with practice.

Which is why, the weekend after the ill-fated train job, Asher found himself at the academy firing range, dutifully testing the limits of the weapon as well as those of his abilities. He'd only been at it for an hour, and was in the middle of reloading when he was interrupted by Blake. She'd slipped inside a few minutes earlier, and after watching his dismal skills, decided she might as well help the poor man out.

"You're terrible."

"Hm? Blake?"

"You're stance is all wrong."

"My stance is... Well then, how am I supposed to be standing?"

The faunas girl strode up to the firing line and Gambol Shroud found itself in her hands. Within moments, she was in a "proper" firing stance, emptying the weapon into the paper target Asher had been using, scoring perfect hits in the chest and head. Then her weapon was stowed away once again, and the girl's eyes focused on Asher, hands gesturing for him to try. He frowned, then snapped the revolver chamber back into place and took his stance. Almost immediately, Blake stepped up and corrected it, making adjustments as needed, until she was satisfied. Then she gestured for him to fire. The resulting shots were far more accurate, and Asher found he could much more easily regain his target. Blake, seemingly satisfied, returned to her place behind him, seated on a nearby bench. Asher continued reloading and firing for awhile longer, feeling slightly awkward in the girl's presence, before Blake once again interrupted him.

"I wanted to... thank you. For stopping me on the train."

"Not really something to be thanking me for. It's my role."

_BANG!_

"Your role? Like a character from a play?"

"Pretty much. I'm just playing the part. Same with all that confidence I was showing. I can guarantee you I was about ready to piss myself when the Schnee Guards showed up. But it's the way I work. Always stick to the role."

"If you're just acting... is that why you seemed to go a little insane when you put those gloves on?"

"Ouch."

_BANG!_

"I wouldn't call it insane... maybe a little overconfident?"

"It was insane."

"Alright, alright. But yeah, the glove thing is like a mental trigger. I put them on, and I just slip into character."

_BANG!_

"So if you didn't have your gloves, you'd be a coward?"

"Uh... no? I can do my little acting thing on my own, I just can't do it for very long. It's like I'm trying to force it. And I'd like to think I don't need the role at all... Not that I want to test that theory."

"Does that mean that satisfaction you get out of it isn't real either?"

"That's real. Has always been real. It's like the rush you get from a flight or fight response. The adrenalin that courses through you when you're fighting. I just get it when I'm pulling a job."

"... Who taught you how to act in your role?"

"My boss. The others didn't really need it, but I'm not the bravest person in the world normally. I tend to crack after awhile. He taught me how to act like I'm confident and in control. Eventually, I got so good at it I trick myself. At least, on the surface."

_BANG!_

"Even if it was an act, you stopped me from getting myself killed. I wouldn't have changed anything dying on that train. Now, all I can do is look forward. If you're ever going to steal something for the Headmaster, let me know. I'll help out."

"You'll help me, will you? Isn't that something you're supposed to do for your team?"

"Well, _Death Stalker_ will help King Taijitu anyway."

"I see. And what about if you run into those Schnee Security guys again?"

_BANG!_

"Then I'll fight them. And I'll win."

The suddenly harsh tone wasn't missed by Asher, and he could guess that there was some history there. Wisely, however, he chose to ignore it and move on. Any questions he could ask would probably fall under the "not his business" category.

"Right. Well, you were handling four of em on your own. You weren't winning, but you were handling them."

"I'll be better by then."

"Will you? Well, if you're training, mind helping me out?"

"Helping you out?"

_BANG!_

Asher fired off his last shot, then unloaded the revolver, slapping the chamber closed as he finished. Then he flipped the barrel up, hand brushing against the pressure switch, and the revolver shifted into its baton form. Asher took a swing with it, nodding his head as it kept its shape, then turned back to Blake, offering her a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, helping me. I need to get better at close combat too, otherwise, how am I supposed to watch your back on these trips of ours?"

* * *

The weeks turned into months, the summer giving way to fall, and then Winter. Asher kept up his lonely lifestyle, only now it was peppered with the presence of two young woman. Ruby, of course, refused to leave him on his own for long, spending the hours after school(when she could get away from her studies) helping him improve his understanding of his own weapon, not to mention pestering him to name "her", which he neglected to do, half on purpose and half because he had no idea what to call the weapon. The other woman, Blake, tended to keep to herself on the school days, or spent time with her team. On the weekends, however, she usually sought him out, helping him improve his shooting as well as his close-combat skills. And improve they did. While he was still far from what you'd call "hunter class", his steadily increasing abilities were causing his frequent duels with Yang during class to actually last longer than a few pitiful minutes, and on the occasion allowing him to strike back a few times.

In all, Asher had easily settled into the routine of it all, and was, in some ways, growing used to simply spending time honing his skills and blatantly ignoring most of his classes. It didn't help that Professor Ozpin seemed wholly uninterested in giving him more tasks of the questionably legal variety to perform. On top of all this, Asher was even inclined to admit that he was slowly starting to stop thinking about his old crew, Bruno and Ianthe and Slate, as the days grew longer and he received no word from them. About the only thing that truly worried Asher at this point was the fact that his "donations" weren't getting to where they needed to go anymore. Without him pulling jobs, he had no cash to donate, after all, and Asher didn't like not fulfilling the whole point of his dropping out to become a criminal. Regardless, eventually the school began buzzing with talk, this time about a very specific thing.

The Remembrance Day Ball.

A Beacon Academy tradition, it was something held every year, and one highly anticipated, if for marking the beginning of the two week holidays and nothing else. For most of the students, it was simply a chance dress up in fancy clothes and visit with friends and loved ones. For other, like the fourth year students, it was a precious chance to network with some of those individuals who came on invitation, most of which were from high-society. Ingratiate yourself with one of them, and you might find yourself with a wealthy supporter as you worked to protect Vale and the rest of Remnant. The actual holiday, of course, was originally meant to be a silent affair, a day for remembering fallen heroes and those who died in service to humanity. In more recent centuries, however, the somber mood had given way to one of celebration and gift-giving. Why be sad for those who had fallen when you could party and live the life they'd provided you to the fullest. Regardless of how, the day was celebrated by all of Remnant in one way or another. Asher and his crew had generally celebrated the last two years by robbing a bank and giving out the proceeds to the needy. No reason robbers couldn't get in on the holiday spirit.

This year, however, Asher had been informed that he would be required to make an appearance at the ball, as he was a student and it was required attendance, then slip away and stay out of sight. The criminal was glad of the opportunity, he wanted nothing to do with many of the high-class stuck-ups that populated the thing. Thankfully, it seemed his normal choice of attire was good enough, and that meant all he had to do was wait for the day to arrive, pay his dues, and then leave.

* * *

A certain blonde-haired brawler had other plans for the criminal. Specifically, plans regarding a, in her opinion, much need family reunion. Which is why Yang Xiao Long found herself tagging along behind the blue-haired girl in front of her as they wandered around the shopping district on one of the coldest days they'd had so far, searching for a suitably elegant dress for the younger. They'd been at it for hours already, and despite Yang's abundance of patience(meaning little) she was getting fed up. They'd passed up dozens of dresses already for the rather mundane reason of "It's not my color." and Yang had about had it. So, upon Azure picking up yet another dress and frowning uncertainly at it before moving to put it back, Yang exploded.

"GET OVER IT ALREADY! IT'S ONE FREAKING DAY! YOU'RE PROBABLY NEVER GOING TO WEAR IT AGAIN!"

Azure recoiled slightly, then deliberately made a show of putting it back before turning to face Yang squarely. If they were going to argue, they were going to damn well do it right.

"Why wouldn't I? Besides, I've got to look my best. I'm finally meeting my brother again after two years."

"Why would you even want to meet the bastard!? He ABANDONED you, in case you've forgotten!"

"Yeah, so? I'm angry about that, trust me, but I don't see why that should mean I need to abandon _him_! I'm going to meet him, I'm gonna maybe hit him in the face a few times, and then we're going to go right back to the way it used to be!"

"Ignoring the fact that he's a convicted felon."

"... MOSTLY back the way it used to be."

Azure turned away from the blonde again, angrily pushing her way through a couple more racks of dresses. Yang, on the other hand, moped slightly. Even if she didn't like it, she had to agree with the girl on some level. If Ruby had simply up and left, then reappeared a few years later, Yang probably would have been ecstatic to finally see her again. Angry too, but mostly happy. The thought made the older girl grudgingly sympathetic to the younger, but that didn't mean she had to admit it. Particularly when she herself was still pissed at the man. She hadn't had another opportunity to get him one on one, not ever since both Ruby and Blake decided he was an ok guy to be around. The latter had received quite a bit of teasing at the sudden shift in attitude, particularly because before she hadn't seemed all that interested in him before. It definitely hadn't gone unnoticed by the blonde that the two of them had been missing on the same day, but Blake had denied anything and everything, then stubbornly shoved her nose into a book and refused to remove it.

"Yang."

Of course, that didn't mean that they hadn't been up to something. Now that she thought about it, Blake used to be a member of the White Fang. AND she was pretty sneaky. There had to be something there.

"Yang?"

At the very least, she could probably use that to tease her partner to no end. Oh! Calm indifference by day, romantic robbers by night! That was sure to get a reaction! Why hadn't she thought of this months ago?

"YANG!"

"Huh? What?"

Azure glared at the suddenly aware brawler, wondering rather viciously if this was a case of ditzy blonde. She banished the thought from her mind quickly. The older girl was helping her out a lot, especially by getting her invited to this party. It was probably the only chance for awhile she'd get to enter Beacon, at least not without sneaking in. At the moment though, she needed the girl for an altogether different reason. Namely, they were changing stores again, this one not having anything she liked. Yang groaned as she was dragged to the next shop, but as they walked over, Azure decided now was as good a time as any to thank her companion.

"Hey Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for doing this for me. I mean, getting me invited to the party and everything."

"Ah... uh... about that..."

Azure halted in her steps and glanced at the older girl's guilty looking smile. She felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance, and for a brief moment, managed to convince herself that she really didn't want to know. Against her better judgement however, she sighed and face-palmed, already dreading the answer to her next question.

"Yang, what did you do?"

"Uh... well... getting an invitation is kinda hard, you know, real exclusive and all that. So... I... uh... kinda had to come up with a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yeah. It'll be easy. We just gotta sneak you through the back door is all. Or a dorm room window."

"You... you want me to trespass at Beacon Academy, while there's a party going on?"

"Um... yes?"

"Do you realize how much trouble I could be in? I might get shot by some high-profile security guard! Or put in jail for trespassing at one of the most prestigious academies ever! Yang, you're planning on getting me to follow in my brother's footsteps!"

"Aw, come on! It can't be that bad! It's just a party."

"Just a party, she says... I swear, if my brother wasn't there..."

Azure started off again, grumbling to herself, although she was already very much aware she was going to be doing it anyway. She couldn't believe she trusted the blonde to actually do what she'd said she'd do. Well, she sorta did do it. Sorta. God, she was already trying to justify this as an ok thing to do in her head. She wondered for a brief moment if her brother ever did this, then banished the thought. She'd be able to ask him soon enough. She just needed to find a Grimm damned dress.

* * *

"Hey boss! We got it! Took us every bit of spare cash we had, but we got the invitation!"

Slate glanced up from the papers he was reviewing to find Bruno standing on the other side of his desk, an envelope in hand. The older man smiled slightly, the plan Ianthe had come up with was coming along beautifully. His face not being seen at any point during their heists was a fortunate thing, allowing the leader to move with impunity when the others had to lay low. The only issue he'd have going to his party was the severe lack of privacy. Talking with Asher would be an issue if he tried it out in the open. Of course, if he disguised it as a conversation about something else... Irrelevant for the moment. He had a week to figure out what exactly he'd do. For now, there were more interesting things to handle.

"Excellent, Bruno. Unfortunately, I have more work for you and Ianthe."

"Whatever you need, boss." Bruno dropped the envelope on the desk, waiting for his next instructions.

"It's a bit of a mess, really... The man who stole our little dust-crystal seems to have disappeared rather well. However, just recently I received a tip from one of my 'friends' that he's holed up with one of the mob families. A relatively minor one, by the looks of it, but..."

"We still can't just walk in and take him. At least we know where he is."

"Agreed. We can keep an eye on him easily. I was hoping you and Ianthe would handle that for awhile."

"Of course. Ianthe won't be happy about it, but we'll get the job done."

"Wonderful. I'll be keeping up my search for these relics Asher was talking about. There's underworld rumors that the Old Man was going to be selling an interesting piece of history, but he's gone to ground again." Slate reached over and picked up the envelope, tearing it open slowly and extracting the documents inside.

"Seems fair to me boss."

"Mm. Well, look at that. A guest list is included with the invitation. Quite a few big names here... Oh... looks like the Schnees will be making an appearance."

Bruno's ears flattened under his hat, the name sending a bad feeling down his spine. Slate on the other hand, smiled gently. Another opportunity presented itself. He wondered, did the great Mr. Schnee know about these artifacts being collected? Only one way to find out.

"Looks like this party might get a little interesting..."

* * *

**Author's Note- Another chapter or two and we'll be on to another heist. Unless my creative mind decides to go somewhere else then what I have planned... it happens. Regardless, here's the aftermath/set-up chapter for the Chris- I mean, Remembrance Day party. From there, we'll see how goes.**

**On another note, I'd like to hear who you think should join in on the next heist, Ruby, Weiss or Yang. Just send me a PM or throw it into the reviews, if your so inclined, and figure it out from there.**

**Until next time, keep dreaming.**


	14. Remembrance Day

Asher had awoken on the day of the ball in a sour mood. While winter was a season that the man hated normally, memories of his much younger life trying to survive snowfall and the drop in temperature making him somewhat bias, he still usually managed to get into the spirit of the holidays. This year, however, he was not getting to do his usual holiday rituals, either those he'd once performed with his sibling or the more recent Remembrance Day heist the crew performed. As the day went by and he saw the various preparations everyone else was going through, his mood only worsened. The rest of the student body was seeing this as a great day. For him, it was a day of hopefully avoiding notice by people he had most likely stolen from in one way or another. It didn't help that the guest list had been announced, and as it so happened, a Mr. and Mrs. Schnee were showing their faces thanks to their daughter's attendance. In all, it was likely going to be a very unpleasant experience all around. Not even the infectious excitement of Ruby could get him to view the event in a positive light, but the time inevitably came when he would have to show his face. Asher wasted as much time as possible before setting off for the ballroom, avoiding most of the initial crowds and the arrival of those invited.

When he did enter the ballroom, it was as quietly as possible, and Asher quickly found a nice corner to hide away from the crowds. His gaze slid idly over the various people, and he was quick to pick out some of the people he could recognize, both friendly and not. There were the Schnees, all three of them, chatting away amiably with some other big-shots from somewhere. Ruby was darting through the crowds, looking for all the world like a lost, blindingly red puppy, dressed as she was in a rather bright, rose-red knee-length dress. Oddly enough, both Blake and Yang were missing. The former wasn't exactly surprising, she probably liked this sort of thing about as much as Asher did, but the latter... Her not being easily noticeable either meant she wasn't here yet or that she was doing something less than advisable. Asher really hoped it was the former, even as he started to slide his way towards the door, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. He only got a few steps before a familiar voice caught his attention.

"You seem to be doing rather well, for a criminal."

Asher turned to face the speaker and discovered his boss, Slate himself, leaning over dramatically on a cane. Asher knew for a fact the old man didn't need one, but it seems it was part of the act this time. The younger criminal almost spat out the man's name, but a simple hand gesture reminded Asher where they were. They'd have to keep this calm and quiet. No reason to be drawing attention to the leader of the gang, after all. If that happened, they would well and truly be screwed.

"I guess I am. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for you, actually. We won't be getting you out of here for a while yet, it's taking some time to arrange everything. Bruno was getting anxious though, wanted to make sure you were doing alright."

"Well, you can tell him I'm doing about as well as could be expected. Getting some combat training while I'm at it though."

"He'll be pleased about that, at least. It'll certainly make pulling jobs a little easier with a little more muscle behind it."

"Whatever helps. Speaking of jobs. Did you-"

"Your usual contributions have been sent out. No need to worry about that."

Asher sighed in relief, his share usually got sent to the hospital, as well as smaller donations going to a few other charitable organizations, and he had hated the idea of them not getting anything. The appearance of his boss was awakening his criminal desires though, particularly the one to steal, and just when he'd gotten used to being constricted to the academy. Slate coughed lightly, drawing Asher's attention away from his thoughts, and he refocused on the older man, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"We saw your little... train job. A little unprofessional, in my opinion, murdering everybody."

"You know that wasn't me. I wouldn't do that."

"Of course. But I'd suggest not getting caught at all. Wouldn't look good at all to be caught wearing a mask when you're part of my crew. Who was the one with you?"

"A student here. Blake Belladonna. Nice girl. Bit quiet though."

"Hm. Any chance she would...?"

"Doubt it. She seems real big on the whole 'trying to make the world a better place' thing. I could try though, if you want."

"A good idea, perhaps. I'll leave it up to you whether you try or not. Regardless, I had better be going before it looks like I'm spending a little too much time in your company. But I'll leave you with this. If we ever need to talk, we'll send messages through it."

Slate slipped a small scroll onto the table, which Asher quickly palmed and slipped into a pocket. At least now he'd have a way to stay in contact with the rest of the crew. As long as he wasn't caught, anyway. It was a start. Slate had already left before Asher could say anything more, the older man limping through the crowd and disappearing from sight. The younger criminal waited a few minutes more, eyes scanning for a moment, before he slipped through the crowd himself, judging that now was a good time to disappear before anyone else found him. As luck would have it, as he headed for the door he stumbled across a certain threesome he wanted nothing to do with. Asher tried to quickly vanish again, but he'd barely taken another step when a commanding voice halted his movements.

"Hold it right there!"

Asher cursed under his breath before slowly turning around, finding himself under the unforgiving gaze of Mr. Erik Schnee, lord and master of the Schnee Dust Company and probably the only person here who could openly order his death and get away with it. The man could only be described as imposing, and the only signs of his advancing years were the barely visible wrinkles on his face. It didn't help that the man carried himself in such a way that made it seem like he practically owned Beacon himself, which might possibly have been true if not for the presence of a certain Professor Ozpin. The criminal briefly wondered how Weiss could be so small when her father was so tall, but the question was quickly answered when he noticed the much smaller woman behind him, presumably Weiss' mother. Asher considered just running, the idea earning bonus points thanks to Weiss' hateful glare, then discarded the thought. It would only make things worse. Now he only had to hope his legs held under the pressure he was feeling.

"Can I help you?"

"Perhaps you can. You're the one they caught stealing my payroll, aren't you?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Are you unsure?"

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean... Yeah, that was me."

"Hm. I must say, you're not quite what one expects when they talk about a blood-thirsty criminal. Still, you might be... walk with me, Mr... Mercury, was it?"

Asher frowned at that, was it supposed to be a compliment or an insult? He barely had the chance to start considering it though, as the Schnee patriarch started off, threading his way through the crowd while gesturing for his wife and daughter to stay behind. He had business to attend to. Asher hesitated a moment, then self-preservation set him after the man. Once he'd come up beside him, and they'd exited into the more secluded hallways, Mr. Schnee settled on a bench and offered the seat next to him to the younger man. Asher sat nervously, not quite sure where everything was going, but the executive didn't say anything, just staring at nothing for a moment before nodding at nothing.

"Mr. Mercury, from everything I've gathered, you have what one might call a tragic past. I'm sure we can both agree on that."

"I wouldn't call it tragic..."

"I think being forced to abandon family, friends and everything you've ever known for the sake of paying off a rather large expense, all to save your only remaining family in the world, could be considered suitably tragic. Regardless, because of it, you've picked up rather unique skill set, one that, under the right conditions, could be used to great effect by someone open to the idea. Someone, for instance, like me. You'd be suitably compensated for any services you provide, of course. And if all goes well, I'm sure any crimes you've committed could easily be made to disappear."

Asher found himself frowning again. He felt liked he missed something important somewhere. What it sounded like was the man next to him, one of the most powerful men in the world, was offering him a job. Or at least, something very much like it. At the same time, Mr. Schnee also seemed to be trying to act sympathetic to his tragic past, when Asher himself didn't really think it was all that tragic. He'd needed money to save his sister. He'd gotten the money the only way he had available. Still, there was one issue he kept leaping back to, mainly the thought that he was supposed to be despised as unworthy trash. Wasn't he?

"I'm aware of how much this is to take in. Don't worry, I don't need your answer right away. In fact, I'd refuse to take an answer right now even if you tried to give one. After all, when recruiting new blood, you need to be sure of its quality. I'm sure I'll get to see the extent of your abilities soon enough. Until the next time we meet, Mr. Mercury. Please, consider the offer carefully."

With that, the elder of the two strode off, heading back towards the ballroom. Asher simply stared after him, mind slowly working through everything. There was an offer of a job in there, plus the possibility of wiping his record clean. While the criminal would admit to himself that the latter was rather appealing, especially now that he was stuck here at an academy for Hunters, he was also wary of the deal. The Schnee Dust Company wasn't exactly known for treating their labor well, the faunas just happened to be the most readily apparent. Who's to say they'd honor any deal they made with a criminal? Asher closed his eyes to block out everything around him, trying to think through everything he'd experienced at the party already.

For Erik Schnee, however, the meeting had been much more straight forward. He had met with a potential asset, one that could be exploited if used properly. Unexpectedly, it was Professor Ozpin who had come to him, asking for information that the CEO might have access to, and the Schnee, as always, saw a business opportunity. It only came as more of a surprise when he was offered the services of the criminal currently attending the academy, and certainly didn't expect that criminal to be vouched for by the headmaster. Still, Erik had his doubts, which is why this first, and Erik shuddered to even use the word, heist was meant to be both a test and the conclusion of a business deal. Not to mention, if everything went well, it would be the end of a potential business rival. An opportunity like that was hard to pass up. Still, he would need insurance of some kind. After all, videos could be altered, and he didn't want anything interfering with his assessment. As it so happened, however, there was someone who could act as a suitable evaluator, provided she could ignore her own bias. It would serve as a good test of her own skills as a businesswoman as well. Another opportunity.

"Weiss. Come here for a moment, would you? I have some business I'd like to discuss."

* * *

Yang's eyes scanned the darkened gardens a moment before she practically dragged Azure along behind her. The blonde haired brawler was dressed in what could only be described as the most daring modest dress you could imagine. While it did cover the young woman's body properly, the cloth blocking the view of anything to risqué, it hugged her curves in just the right way so as to suggest more, with a slit in one side that teased the imagination. Bonus points were awarded because the brawler could still kick someone while wearing it. Yang had found it during the pair's shopping spree the week before and, after modeling it, had grinned in satisfaction at seeing the younger blush at the sight. It was too good for her to pass up, and unlike Azure, Yang easily decided on keeping it. The younger girl had spent almost the entire day searching, before deciding on a safe and girlish dress that she felt, secretly, would make her suitably sister-like.

And now, Azure found herself getting dragged through the gardens of Beacon Academy, the layer of fresh snow from the night before not helping the matter at all, by Yang Xiao Long, the woman notorious for causing so much destruction and mayhem in Signal. The white powder under her feet was cold, and Azure loathed the cold thanks to nearly 7 years of life fearing the effect it could have on her body. The whole plan was a phenomenally bad idea in Azure's opinion, but the fact that she'd finally get to talk to her brother overrode any complaint she had and allowed her to endure any discomfort. That didn't mean she would moan about it every step of the way.

"Yang, I don't think we should be doing this."

"But we're already doing it, so why not finish what we started, right?"

Yang flashed a bright, cheerful smile at her companion, then continued leading the way, intentionally make it out to be more of a big deal than it actually was. Beacon, despite it's laurels and accomplishments, did not have the greatest security in the world. Then again, it didn't really need to. Every single student at the academy was a trained warrior in some way or another, so attacking the place was usually a bad idea for anyone. This made it easier, of course, for those trying to sneak in to avoid what meager automated security the school did have. The pair had managed to walk in the front gate easily enough, but the front door to the school's main building had proven more of a challenge, with "guards" checking for student ID's or an invitation. Thankfully, Yang had thought of that already, and had left the window of her team's dorm room unlatched. The plan was to get in through the dorms, then simply take the less traveled corridors to the ballroom. From there, it was a simple matter to hunt for Asher among the crowd.

As they reached the dorm building, however, Yang spotted a slight problem with her plan. In her room's window there was a flickering light, just barely visible, that suggested someone was hiding away in the room. It wouldn't be good if Azure were to get caught here. Still, the only one they would really have to worry about was Weiss(she'd gotten better, but the Ice Princess was still prone to shouting and lecturing), and she should still be at the party. That only left Ruby or Blake, and there was no way Ruby wouldn't have turned on the lights. That left Blake, and Yang was sure she'd be fine with them passing through, as long as they didn't disturb her too much. With a nod of resolute satisfaction, the blonde turned to her companion, pointing towards her window.

"That's the one, right there."

"The one with the flickering light in it?"

"Yup!"

"The one that probably has a person in it?"

"It's just Blake. She won't mind at all. Ready?"

"Ready? What do you mean rea- Woah!"

Azure suddenly felt herself get thrown into the air, Yang having grabbed her by the waist and simply pushed up. For a moment, Azure just hung there, caught by surprise, then she reacted quickly, hands reaching out to grab hold of the ledge. She nearly slipped, but steadied her grip and pulled gently on one of the windows, the glass pane swinging out without resistance. She slipped through the now open portal, albeit with much less grace than she intended, tumbling inside and grumbling to herself about her ally. Why couldn't she come up with more sane plans? Azure had barely sat up again, preparing to get onto her feet and then wait for Yang, when she found herself face to face with bright, amber-eyes and a stoic, expressionless face. There was a pause that seemed to last for ages, then the blue-haired girl let out a small squeak and scrambled backwards, only to smash the back of her head against a bed frame. Blake's lips twitched with the hint of a smile.

"Are you alright?"

"Ow... yeah."

"I apologize if I startled you. I wasn't expecting someone to come climbing through my window."

"Right. Sorry. I'm just trying to see somebody is all."

"See somebody? A crush?"

"A family member I haven't seen in... a long time."

Blake studied the young girl in front of her, eyes picking out details even in the shadowy light of the dorm room. A younger girl, perhaps Ruby's age, with blue hair and eyes. She seemed to be of average build in all regards, except for the muscle tone clearly visible in her arms. She couldn't recall anyone that resembled the girl at all, however. Then again, Ruby and Yang were sisters, and they didn't look like each other either. In the end, it wasn't her business, and she wasn't sure she wanted to get involved with anything Yang had her hands in. As if on cue, the door unlocked and the blonde burst into the room, halting as two pairs of eyes locked onto her. She froze, then offered both a sheepish smile.

"Hey, Blake! How's it going?"

"Yang. Now that you're here, mind introducing me to our visitor?"

"Sure! Azure, this is Blake Belladonna, my partner here at Beacon. Blake, this is-"

"I can talk for myself, Yang. I'm Azure Mercury. It's nice to meet you."

Blake eyes widened suddenly in surprise, her mind instantly making the connection. As far as she was aware, there was only one Mercury here at the school, and that was Asher. If this girl was also a Mercury, and looking for a family member...

"You're here to see Asher?"

Azure's eyes seemed to suddenly sparkle with glee, someone else who knew her brother. She was on her feet in an instant, gaze glued to the Blake with an overly expectant look on her face. Blake, for her part, found herself edging away from the younger girl. Azure's intensity was almost akin to Asher's when he had his "work gloves" on, and it was making her uncomfortable. Blake didn't make it far before a deluge of questions assaulted her, with Yang only barely containing her laughter to the side of the pair.

"Do you spend a lot of time with my brother? Does he seem to be doing alright? He doesn't get treated too badly, does he? I mean, I know he's a criminal and all, but bullying is illegal. Are you one of his friends? What does he do during his free time? Just train a lot? What about anyone else, does he have any other friends? Did you see him at the party?"

"Azure, calm down. You can ask the man yourself pretty soon. That last question was a good one though. Aren't you supposed to be at the party?"

"I was. Now I'm not."

"Come on, Blake! Live a little!"

"I think I'd rather read."

"Nope! You're coming with us. We gotta go find Asher, but you need to get your party on. At least your still more or less dressed for the occasion. Come on, get your shoes on."

"Yang, I... Fine."

Blake prepped herself quickly, putting on her recently discarded shoes before following after Yang, who was already leading the way out the door, Azure close behind her. She could imagine what was going to happen when the younger girl found her sibling, and she didn't think it would turn out very well. It was too late for her to really change anything, though, especially with Yang at the helm, so Blake figured she'd at least tag along to help keep some of the pressure off her... friend? Yes, she supposed she'd call him a friend. They'd certainly spent enough time around each other. It helped that he didn't seem all that interested in prying into her secrets, such as they were. She'd returned the favor in kind, but she had to admit to herself that she was at least a little interested in the man's past. Blake's musings were soon interrupted as they neared the ballroom, more particularly when Yang suddenly halted, only to have Azure almost crash into her back, and then Blake almost crash into the younger girl. Needless to say, Azure didn't take the sudden stop well, at least, she didn't right up until she saw what had stopped them.

"Yang! Why in Remnant did... you... stop..."

There, seated on a bench farther down the hallway with his eyes closed, was Asher Mercury, apparently lost in thought. Yang, quickly overcoming her own surprise, had a grin spring to her lips, and she stepped to the side to give Azure a clear line of sight to her target. The younger girl, however, remained rooted to the spot, anxiety and fear numbing her legs. Her excitement from before had suddenly vanished, and she wanted, desperately, to be somewhere, anywhere, else. She half expected someone or something to come popping out as the universe contrived to delay her reunion yet again. Blake held herself back, content to let the girl work out things on her own, but her blonde partner was hardly as patient. With a gentle shove(which sent the blue-haired girl stumbling forward), Yang sent Azure closer to her brother, and the girl took a few more small steps forward before hesitantly calling out.

"A... um... A... A-Ash?"

The man seated on the bench frowned a moment, then sat up straighter and opened his eyes to investigate. His eyes scanned around him a moment before settling on the young girl, and as the seconds ticked by without a word, Azure began fidgeting in place, worried that he somehow didn't recognize her, or had forgotten about her, or didn't really care about her anymore, or... or... Her mind continued to supply her with worst case scenarios, but all her anxiety was blown away by a simple acknowledgement from Asher.

"Azure? What are you- Oof!"

The younger girl, hearing her name spoken by a nostalgic, if somewhat deeper, voice, closed the distance between them and hurled herself into his torso, wrapping her arms around him in a hug even as tears began pouring from her eyes. Asher was still trying to process what had just happened, the unexpected arrival of his sibling forcing his mind to shift from the business mindset he'd been in before. Regardless, after another few moments, he dragged his mind into the proper gear and wrapped his arms around his younger sibling, giving a frown of distaste when he feels her tears soak through his shirt, which unfortunately for him doesn't go unnoticed by a certain blonde-haired mastermind.

"Hey! Why are you looking so unhappy, you bas-"

"Yang, now is not the time for you to be butting in. I'll take care of her, Asher. You have your reunion."

Blake, having covered Yang's mouth with her hand, dragged the brawler around the corner, making as if to leave, only to halt in her progress and release her partner, bow twitching as her hidden ears swiveled to focus on the conversation about to happen. Yang almost turned on Blake, eyes red with contained fury, only to lose steam as she realized what was going on. Barely a second later and Yang's grin was back, happy her partner was so supportive, at least passively, of her plan. Now, all they had to do was wait. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long. Azure's sobs stopped quickly, the girl pulling herself together, before she released her sibling and took a few steps back, smiling sheepishly.

"I... uh... I'd promised myself I wouldn't cry when I got to see you again. Actually, I was planning on punching you in the face..."

"Well, we saw how that worked out. Thanks for not hitting me, by the way. What are you doing here, Sister of Mine?"

The moniker, one she hadn't heard in two years, turns Azure's sheepish smile into one of genuine joy. It was an affectionate name, and to her, its use meant her brother hadn't forgotten her.

"I came to see you, Brother of Mine. I watched you getting interrogated before, and they didn't let me see you then. Then Yang came by a few months ago, to Signal, and-"

"You're in Signal? Is your body fine?"

"Yeah. I'm on my second year. Doing pretty good, if I do say so myself. Even with my condition. The medicines are slowly getting better, and once I started getting my injections, I've basically been a normal person."

"That's good to hear. Still, you shouldn't be here. You get caught, and I don't think they'll let you off with just a warning."

"It's fine, Ash. It's not the worst thing our family has ever done."

Those words, meant playfully, came out sounding awkward and accusing. The resulting expression on Asher's face made his sister start to panic, and within moments she was trying to hastily apologize for herself. Asher just waved it away, however, pushing down the sudden pain in his chest and placing a somewhat forced smile on his face.

"Yeah, I suppose it isn't."

"... I'm... I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It'll be fine, Azure... um..." The conversation died for a moment, Asher searching for something to talk about, and finally settled on something that sounded lame the moment it came out of his mouth. "So... you've grown."

"Uh... yeah. Well, it has been two years. You've grown too. Your voice is deeper now."

"Yeah, well, that's about the only change for me. You've gotten prettier. Although I remember your hair being longer."

"I cut it. It was... getting in the way. During combat drills."

"Funny. Doesn't ever seem to get in the way of half the people I know."

"Well I'm not exactly as skilled as anyone here at Beacon! Not yet anyway."

"Calm down. Calm down. I get it. You're probably still better than me. How's Roan doing?"

"He'd doing fine. He's my doctor still, and he's the only one who gets to poke needles into me. He thought it was funny you were attending Beacon now."

"I bet he did..."

The conversation once again stuttered to a halt, both siblings running dry on things to say. It was funny that in two years apart, with so many things happening, and neither could think of something to fill the silence. Asher especially was racking his brain, searching for something, anything, to talk about. The only things that came up, though, were his criminal activities, and he had no desire to drag his sister into that world in any way. Azure, on the other hand, was wrestling with how to ask the very questions what would take them in that direction, her desire to know why he'd done what he'd done, and not just wonder, another reason she'd been so eager to meet him. Finally, she worked up her courage and opened her mouth to ask.

"Asher?"

"Hm?"

"Why'd you do it?"

"... Do what?"

"Please. Don't play dumb. I just... I want to know. Why you... Why you left me alone."

"Azure, I..."

_ I didn't leave you alone. I've always been there for you, and everything I've ever done I've done to make sure you were taken care of._

The words Asher wanted to say, but couldn't force passed his lips. They were his private reasons, things he didn't like openly talking about. But reviewing them now, they just sounded like excuses, particularly when everyone else probably saw it just like she did. He'd abandoned her, in the world's eyes. In her eyes. He'd abandoned her completely and utterly. And in a way, that was exactly what he'd wanted it to seem like. As long as she wasn't connected to him, she was safe from the world he now lived in. But how could he come out and say that now. Thankfully, there was a convenient interruption that came barreling desperately down the corridor, plowing into Asher and sending both crashing to the floor in front of a very surprised Azure.

"Ow, what in Remna- Ruby? You alright?"

"I... I can see Beowolves dancing... I mean... uh... yeah! I'm good!"

Asher got to his feet and then helped his attacker up off the floor, smiling sympathetically. Almost on reflex, Asher's hand came up to ruffle Ruby's hair playfully, and as he did so, Azure's eyes narrowed dangerously. To her, it looked rather suspiciously like somebody else was moving in on her brother, and despite, or perhaps because of, the two year gap, Azure was feeling noticeably possessive. She subtly grabbed hold of her brother's free hand and latched on, refusing to let go, which confused her clueless sibling even as he glanced at her and her now sour expression.

"Azure? You alri-"

"RUBY! It was getting to the best part, DAMNIT!"

Yang came around the corner, extremely annoyed at the interruption from her sister. She'd almost gotten an answer to BIG question! Why did her sister have to show up now of all times? Too late, she suddenly realized that she'd just revealed her presence to the two siblings of the hour, and they both somehow managed to fix identical looks of concealed annoyance on the brawler. She paused a moment, and then laughed nervously, hoping they'd let her get away with it. Azure might not have, but Asher simply sighed and waved the issue away, at the same time making a logical leap that seemed sound enough to him.

"Hey, Blake. I think you can come out now."

The silent girl came out from around the corner as well, having the decency to at least look suitably apologetic. Asher sighed at the sight, already figuring out that this was probably Yang's idea overall. It would have to be. Ruby he doubted even knew what was going on, and that was reinforced by her look of utter confusion. He gave her another pat on the head, just for good measure, which caused his sister to tighten her grip on his other arm. Blake wouldn't have come up with a plan like this. Or if she did, he'd hope she at least would be better about keeping the plan from getting found out quite so quickly.

"Well, I guess that's it for reunion time."

"I can take Ruby and Yang back to the ball, if you want."

"No, it's fine. I'm sure this won't be the last time I'll meet up with my sister again. We can catch up more later... You met everybody yet, Sister of Mine?"

"Not the red brother-thief."

"Brother-thie-"

"Hey! Don't insult my sister like that! Besides, who'd want this bastard as a brother?"

"I would, Ms. Yang Xiao Long! And my brother isn't a bastard!"

"Seems like one to me!"

"Says the walking sex ad!"

"What did you just-"

Asher sighed again, already resigning himself to the fact that he was likely going to get very little time to relax for the rest of the ball. It didn't help that apparently Azure and Yang's argument was developing quickly into a full blown shouting match worthy of Weiss. Blake was just looking stoically amused, which still confounded him, and Ruby just kept looking very confused. Asher felt a little bad for Ruby, she'd only been on her way through and had bumped into the situation, literally. He'd have to apologize later for everything. For now, though, he just put his face in his hands and massaged his temples. His sister was definitely more lively, that was for sure. And confrontational. Then again, he'd always found it best to avoid arguments, so maybe it just seemed like she was confrontational. And while he'd hardly consider it the present he would have wished for, he'd certainly gotten something for the holidays, and he couldn't help but mumble a holiday greeting under his breath.

"Happy Remembrance Day, Asher... Happy Remembrance Day."

* * *

Later that night, Professor Ozpin sat alone in his office, coffee replaced for the holidays with hot chocolate, reviewing the "price" for the use of the Schnee informant network. The job didn't look particularly difficult, but then again, Ozpin wasn't a criminal and had little experience dealing with this sort of thing. Somehow, he doubted Asher had much experience either, but Erik Schnee at least had the decency to provide them with all the information on the target they could want. The only sour issue the headmaster could see was who he'd demanded accompany the criminal during the heist itself. He doubted either of them would be happy with the situation. Still, they needed the information if they were going to make any headway whatsoever, particularly because Ozpin's own network, while extensive, didn't quite extend as far as it might have. In the end, Ozpin had thrown his students into the fire once again, and it didn't seem he had any other choice in the matter. What else could he have offered the patriarch of the Schnee family?

Regardless, this holiday season was looking to be a very busy one.

* * *

**Author's Note- If you can't guess who gets to go on a heist next, then I haven't done my job foreshadowing properly. Regardless, this chapter is currently the longest one I've done, mostly because I didn't feel it was right to split it into multiple chapters. Hopefully it still flows reasonably well.**

**As always, reviews of any kind are much appreciated, and until next time, keep dreaming.**


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